The Daemon of Pein part 3: The Gate's Release
by The Disciple of Pein
Summary: First there was one, and now there are six. The warriors of the growing dusk stand ready to face the world. But the world is only a minor foe, in place of what truly stands against them. Naruto, Pein, Neji and Sasuke. What is it that their eyes can see?
1. As reason falls like the whisper of dusk

The first chapter of The Daemon of Pein part 3: The Gate's Release is now here. This one just barely fits my minimum word count, but that's fine since it's an introductory chapter. Nonetheless, I get the feeling you'll enjoy this at least a little, but let me know what you think ok? I know I ask that a lot, but this part has very little to go on, so every twist I make is half formed with thoughts still going to the result. So, with no further stalling for unnecessary time, here we go!

Disclaimer: My Dad just got a puppy. I never understood why people would be cruel to animals. Until now.

* * *

**As reason falls like the whisper of dusk**

A chill wind cut through the crowded streets of a grand and flourishing village obscured by countless trees withering in every direction. The sigh of fall passed through the infinite branches, lulling the leaves down towards the ground. It was not just outside the village that was faced with this however, many branches and boughs crawled out from the curious buildings that coloured the ground with warm looking foliage. The sun shone not quite as bright as it had last month, but the warmth it delivered was still felt by all those graced by its presence. And at a time like this, those numbers were many.

In an everyday situation, this village was never wanton for commerce and trade. The people of this place were always keen and ready to purchase, creating a strong relationship with the merchants eager to sell. But on these days however, it was not merchants who dawned on the village's doorstep. At this time of year, there was a rather renowned event coming around. It was for that reason that so many unfamiliar faces were appearing.

This event was known as the "Chunin exams". It was an event that came twice a year, and served as a means of testing the lowest level of Shinobi, the Genin. These exams were held across several countries that shared a good relationship with each other, to an extent where the exams would be held in a single village. Genin teams with their Jounin, high ninja, senseis had come from many the places, Sunagakure, Kusagakure, Amegakure and Takigakure came from the west, with faraway villages like Getsugakure even coming to take part. After three years and six exams, it was finally this village, Konohagakure's, turn to hold these exams. And so it was for that reason, that the Shinobi of Konoha were busier than ever.

"Can I see your papers please?" asked Kamizuki Izumo, for what was perhaps the two dozenth time today. If not for the fact that it was foreign ninja approaching the village, it was unlikely he would be so alert. As it was he had even brushed aside the dark hair that usually covered his right eye, giving his full attention to the team before him. The metal plate bearing an engraved leaf that rested on his bandana had been polished just this morning, displaying his pride in himself and his village. He had also had his green flak jacket and navy underclothes taken special care of so not to give the wrong impression.

He quickly set to work on the four small books set before him, his free hand gripping the material from his fleece that reached all the way to his chin. The studious look in his eyes was well practiced indeed. "Shimada Kanbei, Jounin of Suna." he read, aloud as previously instructed. He looked at the eldest of the four nin before him; this person was certainly unusual for a Suna nin. Though her wore the uniform, which held only shoulder guards as different from Konoha, and had the Suna plate born on the right side of his jacket. But his smooth face, wavy blond hair and soft eyes weren't exactly well associated with the burly men of the sand. Still, he had seen more feminine looking men do some pretty scary things, so he was willing to believe it. "Welcome to Konoha."

He extended that same welcome to each of Shimada Kanbei's students, studying each of them in depth at the same time. The plump boy on the left wearing the baggy beige hooded jacket and grumpy expression had no clan name, only his forename "Kyuuzo". Beside him was a more relaxed looking guy in an open white shirt and wearing a sahara style headband on his scruffy greyish blue hair. This one was called Miyaguchi Seiji, and gave a nod of thanks when Izumo welcomed him. The third was a rather overexcited girl, dressed in a lilac sleeveless shirt with a leather belt hanging across her shoulder and waist, and matching shorts with her village's plate acting as a belt buckle. Her dark hair brushed across her shoulders as she rocked on her feet, this "Heihachi Kaori" looked far too energetic to be taken seriously. All the same their papers qualified, so Izumo let them be on their way.

As soon as they were given the ok, Kaori wasted no time in releasing her pent up feelings. While her team mates and sensei walked, she ran on ahead, stopping to look at the village ahead of her with an expression of utter amazement. "Wow!" she exclaimed, her hair swinging as she tried to take in every possible thing to see. Her green eyes were luminescent in the light of wonder; she had never seen a village quite like this one before. "So this is Konoha! So cool!"

Her excitement however was not shared by her team mates, though her sensei did smile at her enthusiasm. While he and Kyuuzo stopped behind to look the village over, Seiji continued on walking, looking his hand over lazily as he neared Kaori. Apparently satisfied with whatever he was looking for, his fingers tightened into a fist that soon collided with the back of Kaori's head, causing the loud girl to cry out in shock and pain. "Be cooler, you look like a tourist." he said, his mood not at all affected by his action or his team mate's reaction.

"Now now, there's no need for violence!" Kanbei said, smiling weakly and raising his hands in an attempt to maintain peace. For someone who had attained the rank of Jounin, he was certainly quick to take the painless route whenever available. Fortunately his students complied, looking at him expectantly while Kaori nursed her aching head. "Now the exams don't start for a couple of days, so we need to get these registration forms in and find a place to stay. Why don't you three take a look around while I get these things taken care of?"

Together the three young Genin looked at each other, Kyuuzo unfolding his arms, Seiji shrugging and Kaori giving Seiji a light thump on the arm in half hearted revenge. "All right." they said, before turning around. They each saw three main junctions, and without speaking a word to each other they split up down each route, Kyuuzo to the left, Seiji in the middle and Kaori to the right. Kanbei watched them as they made their way away, still wearing a smile that seemed to almost regret his own position. But then he departed to his right, heading to where other Jounin from foreign villages seemed to be heading.

As the group departed, the thing Seiji seemed worried about came true. On a small patch of grass between the routes Seiji and Kyuuzo took, there was a small bench where six young Konoha Shinobi had gathered on or around. The four boys and two girls wore smirks as they watched the new arrivals, before glancing at each other. It seemed that it wasn't just their imagination; it looked like there was some lucky play about to go on.

* * *

The hallway was dimly lit, for quite a few reasons. The inmates weren't allowed a perception of time, there were no windows and the guards were never on a constant schedule. To the people locked up in the rooms to either side, it was an eternal night. This wasn't cruelty however; it was necessity. The capabilities of the prisoners were either grand or unknown. That was why only two people were allowed to get close to them, two people who could restrain these convicts should the need arise. It was one of these two who was paying this place a schedule visit.

One of the many doors to one of the many chambers was opened by this person, revealing what seemed almost like a hospital room. Monitors were laid around the single bed, beeping and flashing as they received signals from the wires connected to the room's resident. Aside from these lights, almost everything else was either grey or white. The sole exception to this was the person laying in the bed, a person the visitor greatly disliked seeing.

The boy with the messy blond hair, that was the name the guards had given him. Though his hair had once been spiky, time had caused it to grow out until it sat around his shoulders, the spikes becoming rather matted. This name wasn't the first he had been given, but "tiger-boy" had been disallowed by the superiors. That more derogatory name was given due to the six thin lines that marked this teenager's cheeks. Of course, these features could be relative to any cat, but the tiger was more noted because of the two curved black spike markings on either side of his chin. Then there was his teeth, sharpened to a point that gave a very alluding grin. It was that grin this guy was wearing right now, staring at his visitor with wide, azure eyes. "Hey Sakura-chan!" the boy called, displaying the ever present excitement that came upon this person's arrival. "There's my favourite nurse!"

Haruno Sakura gave Uzumaki Naruto a scornful look, her celadon eyes making no effort to hide her feelings of disdain. It was bad enough she had to wear this all too short uniform when she came here, without this guy taking advantage of it. She tried her best to ignore him however, reaching up to tie back the pink hair settling on her shoulders. She wore a red Konoha forehead protector that kept most of her hair back, something Naruto often asked her to take off when they were alone. Of course, Sakura never once indulged him.

Once her hair was out of the way, she stepped around the bed to check on the monitors next to her "patient". All the while as she moved, Naruto hummed his own rendition of the wedding march. As was customary with each of her visits, the boy gifted her with the desire to sedate him in a violent manner. But she restrained herself as best she could; she had a role to live up to. She remained silent as she took note of the readings, before picking up the clipboard lying on the bedside cabinet. Naruto had been restrained in a multitude of ways, some of which were classified even to Sakura, so there were no worries about her moving close to him. Not that she wanted to.

Her eyes looked over the chart with the same frown she had worn for her past few inspections. Despite the fact that Naruto had been bound in this room with no means of escape, his body wasn't suffering in the least. By now most of the inmates required powerful vitamins and other such things to keep their system's going. Naruto on the other hand was showing none of the expected symptoms. In fact, as she looked over the boy who flashed her a wink, she noticed that his muscles seemed unusually tight for someone lacking the freedom of movement. According to surveillance, he hadn't left his bed, so why was he still so physically fit? _"Is this to do with why someone with no crimes against Konoha is being kept here?" _she thought, as she placed the chart back down on the table.

It seemed everything was fine; Naruto wasn't attempting to tear the place apart as he had when he'd first arrived here. And so with that, Sakura had no more reason to stay. Her shift was over as soon as she reported what she found, and she could at long last sleep in her own bed again. "Aw come on Sakura-chan, you're not leaving already?" Naruto called, as Sakura's hand reached out for the door. The pink haired girl stopped at this sudden question, though he made a lot of lewd comments Naruto had never asked her to stay before. To her it had seemed as if he was merely lashing out in the only way he could. But if he was genuinely lonely, then that was different. If that was the case, she could learn a thing or two.

"Why would I stay?" Sakura asked, turning around and leaning on the wall by the door. Even though Naruto's reasons for being here were top secret, if he told her himself then it was ok right? Working to that end, she decided to try and get him to talk, but hopefully not _too_ much. Reaching that her eyes narrowed warningly, her voice taking on a mirthless tone as she spoke. "Keep it clean, or you'll be eating out of a tube."

"That how you speak to an old classmate?" Naruto asked, his voice mimicking Sakura's unintentionally. He already knew Sakura was reluctant to admit they knew each other; he had gotten over that "heartache" rather quickly. But all the same he let out a sigh, settling into his old and moth bitten pillow as he looked up at the single hanging light on the ceiling. "I just wanted to know how everybody was doing is all. We kinda got separated back then."

Sakura was tempted to remind Naruto of the reason he hadn't been able to move on with everyone else, that he was unable to perform the Bunshin no Jutsu. But now that he was taking on this nostalgic tone, she didn't have it in her to be so mean. she let out her own, more reluctant sigh, folding her arms and bowing her head irritably. "All right, I guess I can talk for a while." she said, closing her eyes to reminisce. Even though she said that, she didn't really mind talking about the past. And the funny thing was, Naruto knew that very well.

* * *

From the looks of things, the foreigners arriving in this village weren't the only ones walking around with curious expressions. The villagers too were interested in seeing the new people that were gathering in their home, even if they were a little anxious that these people were all Shinobi from other countries. They all looked in the same direction towards the newcomers, their faces neither friendly nor hostile. But it was that divide between those two that was most unsettling.

It was for that reason that Kyuuzo had left the busy streets in favour of the less ventured routes. He didn't really feel like being gawked at like an animal on display, and so sought more secluded places as he wandered almost aimlessly. But like this, he was constantly at the mercy of the sun and the shadows, conflicting temperatures making it impossible to feel comfortable. The only thing he couldn't escape in this labyrinth of buildings was the crunch of the fallen leaves that came with every step. And unfortunately for him, that was only a half truth.

The alley he walked through was somewhere in the restaurant district by the looks of things. Dumpsters and silver trash cans lined the walls messily, the smell of discarded food making his already put out expression to grow with distaste. But as unpleasant as this place was, it was here he came to a stop. At the end of the alley behind him, and the junction before him, two figures had stepped out, looking too relaxed in this place to belong anywhere nicer.

"Hey look, it's a Suna boy!" called out the person ahead of Kyuuzo. A skinny guy was walking towards him, his grin shining almost as brightly as his completely bald head. This person wore his forehead protector in a loose manner, the engraved leaf resting at the place his right eye should have been. As for his dress, a tight black jacket and grey pants marked with the weapons holster and pouch that told Kyuuzo he wasn't just displaying his pride. "And he's all on his own too!"

"Didn't think they'd be let of the leash this easy!" chimed in the boy behind Kyuuzo, who was dressed in the same way as his friend. The difference being that this guy had a slight tan to him, and his headband tied around short, scruffy brown hair. A pair of scars at his jaw told that this boy had been in at least _one_ fight, but neither of these boys looked much older than Kyuuzo. "Well that's fine right? Let's us pick them off nice and early!"

Kyuuzo glanced between the two punks without moving his head, his arms and shoulders tensing up at their arrival. Fortunately his clothes were too baggy for them to notice, but it seemed he wasn't as intimidating as he'd like to think. The two of them stepped towards him bearing grins with ill intentions. The bald one kicked a stone, and it hit Kyuuzo's sandal. "Look at this condescending piece of shit, he should be on his knees by now!" that one said, as he stopped right in front of the Suna boy. Behind him his friend had also gotten near enough, both looking down on the relatively short foreigner with discriminating distaste. "After all the trouble your village put us through, don't ya think you should be askin' for forgiveness?"

They both awaited a reply, their grins slowly slipping as they were met with silence. Kyuuzo was giving them a look as if they were an annoyance, which pissed them off to no end. "Little bastard thinks he's better than us?" the one with hair demanded, jumping back and pulling out a weapon, a kunai. His friend did the same, and soon Kyuuzo was being threatened on both sides. "So we ain't gonna be getting' any fun outta ya huh? Well I guess we'll just get this over with then!"

With a grunt and a throw that they put much too much effort in, the two boys hurled their kunai to strike Kyuuzo down. The Suna boy didn't flinch as the two dark darts flew at him, when they were almost upon him, he disappeared from sight. This stunned the two boys, who barely had time to jump into the air as their friend's kunai flew straight at them. In doing so however, they spotted Kyuuzo reappear in exactly the same spot he had been standing. But right away he vanished again, this time in a puff of smoke. The two boys stared in shock, their mouths widening to yell as from the cloud, dark tendrils burst forth. They were ensnared before they could resist, these dry, hard extremities wrapping around their bodies. With their arms bound to their sides, all they could do was watch as the cloud dissipated, revealing the person within.

Black sandals were the first to be free of the smoke, showing a pair of pale feet to be housed inside. These lay beneath a pair of denim trousers of a dark red colour, the hem marked with dirt and mud from a long journey. Not much higher, the shins too were obscured by an equally marked piece of clothing. It was a long, rust shaded duster, like something out of the far west. The loose jacket was left open, revealing a black shirt tucked into the denim trousers. Across the chest of this duster was an old leather belt, keeping the object behind firmly in place. That object was a giant, cracked gourd, marked with strange lettering. Up above the broad collar of the duster was the pallid face of a young man. This person was missing eyebrows, but his sea foam green eyes were surrounded by thick dark circles that could only be a result of sleep deficiency. And on the left side of his forehead, made visible by the parting of his carmine hair, was a red symbol, the kanji for "love".

"Whatever quarrel you have with Suna is of no concern of mine." spoke Sabaku no Gaara, his hoarse, rasping voice mixing with his indifferent expression. The tendrils of sand that had grown from out of his gourd lifted into the air, raising his attackers with them. In time to these movements, so did Gaara's hands rise into the air. "But whatever your reasons, all who attack me will die." he finished, before slamming the two screaming Genin hard into the ground with a wave of his hands. There their consciousness was stolen from them, but for now they still had their lives.

One kunai struck the wall of the alley, while the other embedded itself in the white wooden fence out in the street behind. By this point the two Genin were already taken down, and soon to be taken out. The tendrils that had grabbed them, made of what appeared to be sand, lifted into the air without their captives. Several metres above the two, the sand changed shape, shifting into two long pyramid like spikes, the points aiming straight at the Genin below. Gaara's hand tightened, ready to deal the final blow.

"Don't ya think that's enough?"

Gaara froze, his hands literally on the verge of coming down and crushing the two rookies lying by him. His body tensed and his eyes widened, just barely able to look at the figure who had spoken to him. There was another Shinobi, whose form was masked by the sun behind him. He was crouched down on the low roof of the building at the end of the alley, looking down at Gaara with tired eyes. Gaara returned the gaze as stoically as he could, but there was one fact he couldn't escape; his body had stopped not of his own accord.

From his feet, like a rope binding a prisoner and his watcher, a long black line crawled across the ground, rose up the wall and headed towards the stranger above. Gaara fixed his eyes on this person, his lips moving as he made the slightest whisper. "Nara." he said, recognising the Jutsu style being used on him. While the person up there then read his lips, he twitched his fingers ever so slightly, finding that on its own to be a tough job.

"I can let you off the hook, since these two were attacking you." the Nara Shinobi said. However his hands were gripped tightly together in the seal of the rat, showing he was putting effort into restricting Gaara's movement as a precaution. It was a good choice; like this Gaara couldn't counterattack. "I wish it was that easy, but from the look of you I can't help getting the feeling you're here for more than the Chunin exam. Sorry, but I'm gonna have to ask you some questions."

It seemed then that this person's definition of easy didn't quite match with Gaara's. The red haired Shinobi from no village repeated his earlier movement, twitching his finger with much more vigour this time. The effect was near instantaneous; the sand spike he had made to kill the Genin lost its consistency and fell to the ground. Though the Nara initially thought of this as surrender, he realised too late just _where_ the sand had landed. In that moment a whirl of the desert dust threw itself around Gaara, who used the distraction to Shunshin away. In the three seconds he had managed to move, he had easily managed to leave the scene.

"Should we go after him?"

The Nara listened to the feminine voice that had called out to him, considering that option for a second. But when that second past, he shook his head and straightened up. "Nah." he replied, separating his hands and slipping them inside his pockets. He looked over the alley below, scanning the faces of the poor excuses of Konoha Shinobi and memorising them. "All he did was defend himself; we got no reason to bring him in. But report it in, just in case, will ya?" he asked, glancing to his left.

"Sure thing Shikamaru." came the voice of another boy, who was also hidden in the shadows.


	2. The vision of one leads to blindness

Interesting responses from you all, you seem to be sufficiently confused. I've come up with a few new ideas that I'm gonna piece in now, so be ready for a whole lot more confusion as a result. Still I won't starve you for answers like I have in the past, I've recently come to learn it's more fun to be just a couple of steps ahead of the readers, rather than having all the cards in my hand. And so with that I shall start chapter three. Who knows what will be in it?

Disclaimer: (warning spoiler of chapter 501) Anyone else think Minato looked like he was blushing like an idiot when he glared at Madara?

* * *

**The vision of one leads to blindness of all**

It was early morning out in the village of Konoha, with the dawn sun just barely breaking over the horizon. In spite of this however there were lights on in many places. This was one of those places were _someone_ was awake no matter what the hour. In this case, some of those people happened to inhabit one of the local hotels, a simple place if any considering their numbers. The inside was no more luxurious than out, but it was rather quaint to say the least. Here was the place that team Kanbei was meeting, discussing the events of the coming day.

"I didn't think Konoha was this hostile." Kaori muttered in a miserable tone. Like Kyuuzo, she and Seiji had been treated to a welcome not quite of the same league as the one the guard from before had given them. They had each come out unscathed, but not untroubled by it. Their sensei was the only person who hadn't been bothered, for rather obvious reasons. "And I always heard that Konoha wanted to make peace with the other villages!"

"Well I imagine they're on quite high alerts after what happened last time." Kanbei replied, giving a reassuring to Kaori as his younger student stretched and yawned. She was the only person who had the energy to stand upright at this time of morning; Kyuuzo and Seiji were sitting down on the two beds in this room while he himself was leaning against a chest of drawers. "If anything, we should be glad that Suna was allowed to participate at all!"

From the bed nearest the door, Seiji allowed himself to slip down to a half lying position with his hands folded behind his head. "I'm kind of surprised how weak the Genin are here." he said, his eyes somewhere between annoyance and mirth. He had allegedly received the least trouble yesterday from the two kunoichi, who had left soon after their arrival. "The looks on their faces when they realised I had no problem hitting girls…" he muttered, smiling to himself as he noticed Kaori rub the back of her head and wince. But then he turned his eyes to the other side, and noticed something else of interest. "Hey Kyuuzo, something on your mind? You've been acting pretty strange lately."

At the bed by the wall, looking out the window, Kyuuzo blinked in surprise. He turned his attention to his watching team mates, his chin lifting off his hand as he realised they were talking to him. "I'm just thinking about the exam." he replied, though his thoughts weren't really all that clear. "You would think those Genin would know better than to risk their positions in the exams. So do you think it's ok if we gather information ahead of time?"

While Kaori and Seiji looked at each other and shrugged, Kanbei lifted his eyes to the ceiling and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It seemed none of his comrades had even considered what Kyuuzo had been thinking for a while now, though he wasn't all that surprised. He did have an alternative way of thinking after all. "I guess the exam is supposed to test your ninja ability after all…" Kanbei mused, his brow both rising and creasing into a rather unappealing look of confusion. "But then again, I think Konoha will have heightened its security after last time, so that possibility would be just about erased."

Though in the end, that went without saying. Compared to what they had heard of previous exams, the prearrangements to this exam had almost been as tight as the last one to be held in Amegakure. But it didn't stop Kyuuzo from wondering, and as a result so did Seiji. But all Kaori could do was try to figure out what her quieter team mates were talking about. It seemed her enthusiasm had come at the price of brightness. "The first exam's probably gonna divide those who are still wet and those who are ready, right?" Seiji asked, rather rhetorically. "Well we've definitely got the experience if nothing else."

"Hey now, there's no need to say that!" Kanbei quickly replied, looking quite disgruntled by his student's remark. Kyuuzo, Seiji and Kaori were each thirteen years of age, fresh Genin from the academy. To anyone who looked, they themselves ought to still be "wet", as the boy with the steel-blue hair put it. But as for the rest of what Seiji said, he had to agree. He himself had experienced the Chunin exams of course, and he had a general idea of how they went. "Besides, there's no telling what you'll get. So being under prepared won't help you in the least."

Judging by the look on Kaori and Kyuuzo's faces, this wasn't the first time their sensei had said this to them, and probably wasn't the last. Seiji however remained silent, his eyes closed and his breaths slowing down to a sleepy pace. Kanbei rolled his eyes and glanced to Kaori, who smiled sweetly back at him before nonchalantly stepping towards Seiji. When she was next to his head, she raised her fingers to her lips and lightly blew on them. In an instant Seiji was upright, his eyes wide and definitely awake. "Mo-oh!" Kaori complained, throwing her hands down as she gave Seiji a look of betrayal for spoiling her fun. "You're mean!"

"Yeah, like I'm stupid enough to fall for that." Seiji replied, grumbling to himself as he rose to his feet. The others took this as a sign, judging by Kyuuzo's standing and Kanbei's straightening up. If _he_ was ready to go, then the rest of them were already late. Kaori was the first one to make it to the door, but not the first to leave. With a tingling sensation rising up his spine, Seiji was forced to take the lead as his female team mate walked suspiciously close to his back. "Let's just get this exams thing over with ok?"

* * *

Kaori sat with her chin resting on her hand, a sufficiently bored look on her usually bright face. It had seemed that arriving early had done them not the slightest bit of good; the exam wasn't something they could prepare for after all. That equated to about three hours rest they could have gotten, and _still_ make it in time to walk in. This was a point Seiji had raised, before lying down on the floor in front of the bench his team mates were occupying. With one arm supporting his head and the other supporting Kaori's legs, he made for a rather comfortable footstool.

The two of them and Kyuuzo were sitting in the back of a packed room, filled to the brim with dangerous looking Shinobi. These were the Genin who had been gathering the past few days, almost all of whom looked quite fearsome. While Kaori was a little nervous of them, Kyuuzo ignored the crowds and Seiji had actually needed to stifle a laugh when the many eyes had settled on them. But they had soon disappeared into the crowds as three more unremarkable faces in the sea of dozens. Tensions were high, and by no means assisted by the pouring rain outside. The assumption of good weather had been exchanged for this disheartening omen, and it seemed that even amongst ninja there were many who were superstitious.

"What a bunch of whiners!" Seiji muttered, his closed eyes showing disdain at the whispers of the Genin around him. Their simple mindedness irritated him to no end, although that was probably more in part to his disturbed rest. He himself thought nothing of the rain; if omens were really signs sent by the heavens then they would probably come in a more indicative form than natural phenomena. "Rain… in the fall? We'd better find a temple and pray our little hearts out!"

He smirked to himself as he heard Kaori giggle, even though he seemed pretty apathetic to the situation he was at least glad someone else was as at ease as him. Though his numb arm was beginning to tell him that perhaps his team mate was _too_ much at ease. And too casual for that matter too. Kyuuzo however was the one to ultimately break the tension, rising to his feet and looking dead ahead. "Lets go." he said, as he began to make his way through the crowd. Though Seiji and Kaori couldn't see the reason, it was apparent that everyone else was moving. The two of them hurried to their feet and followed after Kyuuzo, not wanting to get split up _this_ early into the exam.

The procession was led through into a broad hallway long enough to fit everyone in to one side. This was how they were asked to position themselves by the person who they had followed through here. On the wall opposite them lined up about two dozen Konoha Shinobi, Chunin by the look of their uniforms. But amongst these Chunin stood a single Jounin, a man with a slack headband and black spiky hair, who stood out from the rest by literally standing out. In an instant he had drawn the attention of all the Genin around, adjusting his sunglasses before slipping his hands behind his back.

"Good morning to you all, my name is Yamashiro Aoba." he announced, in a clear voice that reached both ends of the hallway. He slowly turned his attention across the many young men and women gathered, his dark glasses obscuring sharp eyes that memorised every single face laid out before him. "I am to be your proctor for this first exam, and these Chunin will act as the invigilators who work underneath me. At the entrance to the exam room you will see a box. Inside this box are pieces of paper marked with a number. You are to take _one_ piece of paper and use it to locate your seat. Switching seats is not allowed and sitting outside your designated place will result in immediate disqualification of both you and your team mates. With that out of the way, let's move on."

At the far end of the hall, a pair of double doors were opened by the Chunin attendants. As ordered, the line of Genin slowly made their way inside, stopping only to dip their hand into the aforementioned box and finding their seat. Seiji, Kaori and Kyuuzo, who had let himself fall behind the other two, were in for a painstaking wait that almost drove Kaori insane. Seiji had let his head droop and was dragging his feet as the snail like march went on. Kyuuzo was the only one of them paying the least bit attention to the situation, looking over the Chunin invigilators and listening to the mutterings those people made.

"Last chance to back out."

"Remember what happened to the last batch?"

"You're all gonna die!"

Though that last one came from someone who didn't look entirely stable, his words seemed to have a worrisome effect on the Genin. Though no one backed out, their expressions made their feelings clear. "Scare tactics." Kyuuzo murmured, as he raised his hands and lowered his hood to reveal a shock of orange hair. His vibrantly coloured head drew in the attentions of the Chunin watching, and allowed them to see the bored look on his face as they tried to jab at him. From ahead of him, Seiji and Kaori smirked; only this guy could hurt the egos of whoever he met. And though it could be annoying at times, moments like these made them love him for it.

Though the line seemed to go on forever, the three of them were finally graced by the end just when Kaori could take it no more. They each took their ticket and entered the exam room, looking around in interest. Grey booths filled the large room, each one bearing a door with an indicative number on it. It looked like whatever entailed in this exam, there was to be no visual contact with anything else. What that was to be taken to mean, none of them knew.

Seiji looked between his two comrades as they realised they were about to be split up. Though Kyuuzo needed no such thing, he gave a nod of reassurance to Kaori. She didn't like the unknown, so this situation wasn't ideal for her stress levels. She appreciated the gesture however and gave an uncertain smile, before wandering off to find her booth. That left Seiji on his own, in this room full of people. But he had no such worries, only curiosities. He made his way through the booths until he found his own somewhere near the middle. With a quick glance to confirm his piece of paper, he stepped inside the place he assumed he would be taking his exam. _"Well… here goes nothing."_

* * *

Sakura had been surprised at how the pace of the conversation she and Naruto shared had turned light hearted. Even though she had tried to remain impartial, she had soon found herself laughing even at Naruto's wisecracks, though she was loath to admit she enjoyed herself. But as it was, when Naruto asked her if she would stick around she was much less reluctant to comply. As a result, once more she stood with her back to the door, listening for any of the guards out of fear of creating a rumour.

"Ha ha ha ha, Iruka-sensei must've been grinning his ass off!" Naruto laughed, his head throwing back and his grin spreading wide. He had just heard of one of his old classmates, Nara Shikamaru, who had taken up the temporary job of covering teachers at the academy when they were sick. "He always thought Shikamaru was trying to be like him with that hair, now he's teaching too! Ha ha ha!"

Sakura too had been forced to smile as she recalled the smug look on their old sensei's face when Shikamaru had started wearing his hair like that. It wasn't until later that he learned that was a pretty standard hairstyle for the Nara clan. "Akimichi Chouji-san helps him out sometimes, so he often takes the class out on a field trip." she said, her arms folding lightly as she recalled the time one of Shikamaru's classes toured the hospital of Konoha. The nurses had almost lost their mind when they looked at one particularly snot nosed child and thought there was a virus coming around. "For such a lazy guy, he does a lot of walking around!"

Once again Naruto grinned his not so scary grin, and Sakura was forced to admit a little something. She couldn't detect the slightest hint of malice from this guy, nor believe he was hiding any. And there once again she was caught wondering just why he was here. But before she could try and slyly find something out about that, she heard footsteps approaching from behind. She hurriedly stepped to her right, moving just as the handle twisted and the door grinded open. Then appeared the head of an ANBU, a man wearing a white porcelain mask decorated with the animal markings of an insect. "Is everything alright in here, Sakura-san?" the ANBU asked, eying the prisoner warily. "You've been in here for quite a while."

Sakura looked between Naruto and the ANBU, realising that now the check up had been done she had no official reason to remain. "No, everything's fine." she said, as she turned away from Naruto. The ANBU stepped aside and opened the door wide to let her through, without taking his eyes off Naruto for a second. "I'll be back in a couple of days, try not to annoy anyone."

"Yeah yeah." Naruto muttered in reply, waving his bound hand as if he was shooing her away. Soon the pink hair disappeared around the wall and the door was promptly shut, leaving him alone once again. But even in spite of this, a slow smirk spread across his lips. He watched the ceiling with a confident look, watching as the small bubble that had slipped in over the ANBU's head descended towards him. The bubble reached the middle of the room, before suddenly bursting and releasing a noise that sounded suspiciously like "Yo!". His hands tightened as much as his mouth; it looked like he wouldn't have to suffer a bedpan for too much longer.

* * *

Seiji had taken his seat inside the booth, the door closed and locked behind him. It was a fairly cramped space inside, and the walls were tall enough that he couldn't make out much more then the tiles around the fluorescent light overhead. Before him was a single desk for him to sit at, and on the other side, there was a single Chunin who watched him with razor sharp eyes. This man was the one who had been with the guard who had greeted team Kanbei; Seiji recognised the wild midnight blue hair held up by his headband, the bandage running around his face, across his nose and the chinstrap from his uniform. Where this person had seemed completely bored before, now he was showing not even the slightest lapse in attention.

With a single hand, the Chunin gestured down to the desk in the mechanical way of someone who had been practicing his role well. This was proven as the voice of the Jounin proctor spoke in time to this wave, filling the room to great effect. "Before you all you will see a headpiece with a wire connected to it." spoke Aoba, referring to the strap on the desk with a small black box attached to the side. "If you would all please remove your headbands and place these on instead, I will begin to tell you the conditions for this exam."

Seiji looked hesitantly at the headpiece, watching the wire connected to it and a hole in the desk. But he did what he was told and removed his headband, his hair falling over his eyes. It was soon put back in place however by the strap, which he tightened as much as was comfortable. When this was done the Chunin in front of him lifted up a compartment on his side of the desk, revealing a strange looking slot that Seiji hadn't noticed before. Then he settled back down, leaving the compartment door open and the slot facing Seiji.

"This first exam is a written one." Aoba announced, a minute after he had last spoken. Seiji winced as he felt a strange sensation coming from the box against his temple, like a light vibration that pulsed through his head. "The objective is to answer the questions given as quickly as possible. You are not allowed to remove the headpieces or leave the room under any circumstances unless you wish to quit the exam. Then you and your team mates will be disqualified and allowed to leave. However should you continue with the exam and fail, you will not be allowed to take the exam again."

Seiji listened as he heard an uproar come from several places. Apparently there were a few Genin here who weren't all that happy to hear this piece of news. Though their complaints were hard to make out in the condition of the booths, their voices could barely be made out. Aoba waited for these voices to die down, probably at the beckoning of other Chunin, before he continued on. "Only the arrogant and stupid should find this rule a problem. If you're not confident you can succeed, leave now. As for the rest of you, give your answers to the Chunin opposite you. And be warned; there is a time limit to how long you can spend on each question. Take too long and you will automatically fail. There are twenty questions altogether. With all that said, let's begin the exam."

Before any other complaints could be made, things started rather suddenly. Seiji blinked in surprise as something slid out of the slot before him, a small piece of card with writing on it. As he began to hear voices ring out all around, he quickly grabbed the card and began reading the contents. _"This is just a simple problem solving question." _he thought, as he figured out the answer quickly. He looked up at the Chunin, who was giving him a piercing stare with a slight hint of danger to them. "Uh- forty yards." he said, his brow creasing as he awaited the Chunin's response. However to his surprise he received none, and instead was met with another card from the slot of the desk. _"We gotta pass to give him more time… what kind of exam _is_ this?"_

* * *

Naruto shuffled himself to an upright position, getting himself as comfortable as possible. Since the little message from before he had worn a serious look, his focus going anywhere but the immediate surroundings. There were several things he needed to confirm before things started getting hairy. He turned his eyes down to the tube inserted into his arm, the sedative drip that had been dishing out a "relaxant" into his system for around three months now. At least, he _thought_ it was three months. He wasn't all that good with time.

"_First things first." _he thought, closing his eyes to concentrate. For the longest time he remained silent, his eyelid twitching from the soundless effort he was exerting. He was searching for something, but had no clue as to where he would find it. Eventually he gave up, opening his eyes but keeping the frown he had developed as a result of his focus. _"Looks like he's nowhere near here. Is the old man keeping him somewhere else?"_

The "he" Naruto was referring to had been taken from him upon his arrival here, a very valuable "he" that he had no intention of leaving without. If "he" was anywhere nearby, Naruto would have easily been able to tell with what he just did. But there were no signs, and therefore no chance. He wasn't gonna find who he was looking for like this. _"Doesn't mean I can't do _anything_ though."_ he told himself, as another smirk appeared on his face.

Though the sedative running through his veins kept him from moulding chakra properly, he wasn't without options. He looked at the bonds keeping him tied to the bed, the cotton straps wrapped around his wrists. Breaking them would be a piece of cake, but he had been forewarned that doing so would sever a limiter in the sedative drip and probably kill him. That was the theory anyway, but they had failed to take certain things into account. Like for one thing, he had a _hell_ of a lot of stamina, more than several Shinobi combined. If he was quick enough, he could maybe get away with just a stumble. But in doing so he would be unable to use his chakra and disoriented from the amount of drug he _did_ intake.

That left him with only one viable option then, which was of course that he would need to wait for his rescuers to come. But he wasn't the sort to be that dependent; the least he could do was help them out from where he was. And he had a pretty damn good idea as to how he would do that. _"Good thing I'm in Sakura-chan's good books right now." _he thought to himself with a chuckle. He used to have a crush on that girl; he thought she was really pretty back in the academy. She looked even better now, but with Naruto's naivety gone he could see more than that now. Now, she was just a pretty face to him. _"Alright, so I wouldn't mind strapping _her_ to this bed for a while, I'll admit that. But looks like there are other things she can be good for too."_

His brow rose in quiet surprise as he heard a strange sound from outside. It was an odd noise, like a cane hitting stone or something. But by the speed of the sounds, the person was either moving fast or the noise was coming from more than one source. Naruto listened to this sound closely, a grin appearing on his face as he understood what they meant. Leaning back on his bed, he awaited the arrival of another person he often anticipated from his cell. He didn't have all that long to wait, for soon after the door was opened. "Hey old man." he said, greeting the person standing in the doorway. "Time for some exercise?"


	3. A pipe dream by the name of peace

Whoo, didn't want this day to stretch on any longer, so I extended the chapter to finish all business that would be needed. Considering it's about half past four in the afternoon, I consider that roughly an equivelant time for a 5000 word chapter anyway. The twist in this is something new I considered, so a lot of the aspects are still being thought out. I imagine the summary of this part might have put ideas into your head, so I'll try and let you find out what those intentions of mine are without giving everything away.

Disclaimer: No new episodes this week it seems, though after 167 I'm hoping it's because they're looking for new animators. And firing whoever put all that filler stuff in. LEAVE THE INVASION OF PEIN ALONE!

* * *

**A pipe dream by the name of peace**

"_SHIT!"_

For what had been at least the fifth time since starting this exam, Seiji cursed to himself in agitation. All around him the voices of many people were ringing out, their words intangible yet growing in an uneasy tension that was nothing less than infectious. He himself had donned a layer of sweat as he took on his eleventh problem; each question had grown in intensity to the point where he seriously needed to consider that time limit.

The exam had started off easy enough, though the urgency in the voices around had given Seiji the desire to hurry along as well. But he soon came to realise those problems he was being given were steadily becoming more and more difficult, and with it he had become more and more nervous. _"If this keeps up, _she_ won't be able to handle it!"_ he thought, as he grabbed the next question the moment it left the slot before him. His female team mate was great in real life situations, but she was terrible when it came to coping with stress. She had a tendency to get really worked up when she couldn't understand something, a habit which was yet to be broken. _"Hold in there, we can't give up yet!"_

At the very least he had no reason to worry about Kyuuzo. That guy was a total opposite of Kaori, in that the only time he made mistakes was in real life situations. But if it was like this, then there was no problem. He himself on the other hand had a habit of over thinking things, which was very troublesome in this situation. Even as he read the questions and formed an answer in his head, an easy enough thing, he couldn't help distracting himself by trying to figure the exam out.

The examinees were being made to speak their answers aloud, why? From the sound of things no one was receiving the same questions, or at least not the same order of questions. And why on earth did they have a Chunin staring intently at them through the course of the exam? It was provoking to say the very least. _"There has to be something behind this exam, if they're doing things in such a chaotic manner."_ Seiji thought, as he furrowed his brow to consider his answer to the question before him. _"Some of these questions outrank what a Genin should be trained to comprehend, while others are so simple you almost feel you're wrong when you're right. If that's the case… then-"_

His thoughts were suddenly disturbed by a sound that shattered his concentration apart. Somewhere in the vast labyrinth of cubicles, someone had let out a blood curdling scream that no amount of mere stress could cause. He couldn't restrain himself from looking up in the direction he had heard that sound, was it Kaori? He was tempted to call this thing a quit and go check, but knew that if he was wrong they would all fail. _"This _could_ be a part of the test, trying to distract us or something."_ he told himself. So reluctantly he turned his attention back to the question before him, just managing to piece together the answer before he could be disqualified.

Since then the voices of those all around had grown quieter, but had increased significantly in terms of urgency and stress. Each person was awaiting the follow up to that scream, wondering if that was a malfunction of some sort or if that was the fate that awaited them if they failed the exam. Seiji managed to keep himself for the next few, more strenuous answers, managing his thirteenth, fourteenth and barely getting through the fifteenth. It was then that another yell could be heard, this one definitely coming from a male. This one didn't just disappear as the others did however, there were follow up cries to this one.

"Screw this, I quit!" was one such yell, followed by the crashing sound of a door throwing open and someone running away. Not long after this other footsteps could be heard, perhaps that person's team mates and perhaps more people who decided this exam wasn't worthwhile. Each tapping sound that passed by Seiji's booth was like water from a pipe dripping onto his head. His teeth ground against each other as he took on his sixteenth question, though his concentration on it was as little as he required. Something had struck in his mind, one that made him stare at the card in his hand as if it were something indecent.

"_So that's what this is…"_

* * *

The sky was an incredible shade of blue, the horizon marked green by the vibrant nature all around. Huge stems slipped out of the ground and let titanic leaves dip back down to the surface, embracing both the sky and the earth to an extent not even the tallest trees could achieve. The sound of rushing water came from everywhere as natural earth formations cause rivers to flow off and into streams further down. Even the mountains defied normal standard, their insane size reaching into the clouds without losing the slightest tint of foliage. In spite of the season, this place was as warm as ever.

Like ants marching through the garden of the gods, two people ventured through with one leading the other. Looking around the area in wonder was Uzumaki Naruto, who was released from his cell and allowed to don his clothes. He wore a simple mesh shirt over his otherwise bare chest, and had white bandages wrapped around his arms from shoulder to knuckle. Beneath his waist he wore a pair of navy blue slacks, the sides of each leg bearing the hiragana lettering for a pair of words, both emblazoned in sky blue. "Victory" descended down the left leg, while "Survivor" marked the right leg. And around his waist, holding these slacks in place, was a pale blue sash tied into a tight knot. Aside from these rather unusual trousers, he wore a pair of simple black sandals on his feet. But as strange as he looked, it failed to compare to the man leading him on this strange course.

"We're almost there." spoke the old man with the long and spiky white ponytail. Naruto watched the tall Shinobi's back, the red cloak placed atop a pale green kimono and trousers of the same style. With his red geta style sandals and mesh arm protectors, he looked like someone out of a kabuki play. He added to this appearance by looking over his shoulder, revealing a stern face and sharp eyes that had thin red lines painted down his cheeks. He also bore a spiked forehead protector with the kanji for "oil" on it, surrounded by his messy mane. "Pick up the pace."

Naruto grumbled to himself, wondering just where it was they were supposed to be going. In all the times this guy, who called himself "The Legendary Toad Sage of Myoubokuzan, Jiraiya-sama", had taken Naruto from that prison, it had often been to take him to a place where they could talk and when necessary, fight. Yet this time was different than before, they seemed to have an actual destination in mind. This was something Naruto found rather worrisome, since all the aforementioned "talks" he and the alleged sage had had together were about one topic; that Naruto would become a Konoha Shinobi and give any information he knew about the group called "Akatsuki". Incidentally, ever since the talk that made this clear, Naruto had come up with his own little name for "Jiraiya-sama".

"Where the hell are we going you old bastard?" he asked, as they stepped out from the beaten path and into a strange clearing that would catch anyone's eye. He stared off into the distance at the huge number of giant stone toads, gathered around a waterfall pouring some brown liquid into a small pond. He had certainly seen many strange plants and such in this odd land, but never had he seen any sign of _architecture_. Naturally of course he was dumbfounded by the sights, but was aided in drawing his attention away by the reply he was given.

"The great toad sage has requested an audience with you."

Well… _there _was one sentence Naruto never thought he would hear spoken. Though his curiosity was sparked, he had his reservations about just what kind of mentality this Jiraiya had. He was the sort of person who could be stone cold serious one moment, then arrogant like a fool the next. What was annoying though was that when he was serious, he had an answer to everything. And when he was arrogant, he had the power to prove his point. In spite of repeated efforts, Naruto was unable to defeat this man. But with each loss that had been given to him, his resolve strengthened. He was _definitely_ going to surpass this bastard no matter the cost.

They passed through this odd clearing and found themselves standing before a grand set of stairs leading up into what looked like a temple of sorts. A ball of sweat dripped down the back of Naruto's head at the sight of this, either this toad sage was overcompensating, or there was a _reason_ this place was so immense. Personally, he wasn't sure which one to hope for; either case still led to him being on one hell of an unusual situation even by recent standards.

"So what, a frog wants to talk to me?" Naruto asked, as they began the ascent of the stone steps. Jiraiya shot him a look for the disrespect, but knew Naruto was doing it with full intent to provoke. It was Jiraiya who initiated talks, and Naruto who started fights. On this occasion however, the old man decided not to rise to the bait, and continued climbing as if Naruto had said nothing at all. This suited Naruto just fine, because in terms of being around this guy, fighting came first, then nothing at all. Because talking with Jiraiya only led to Naruto being either confused or annoyed. But once more Naruto was forced to pay more attention, as they reached the mid way point of the stairs. Even though they were this low, something was looming over the apex. And Naruto could already see what it was. It was a giant toad.

It was an enormous being, a pale red toad wearing what looked like a crystal ball on a cushion atop his head. The toad seemed as old as it was big, and looked off to the distance with wrinkled, narrow eyes. To say Naruto was impressed would be an understatement; even that thing's warts were bigger than him! The immense toad sat atop a pedestal like throne, with winged arms to either side of him, immense scrolls lined up behind him and a large bottle and glass placed to the side for him to drink from. Naruto found himself glancing also at the necklace around the toad's neck, recognizing the kanji on the pearl to be the same as on Jiraiya's headband. Naruto really had no idea what to make of this being, but soon it seemed he didn't have to.

"Oh Jiraiya-chan, you're here eh?"

Naruto blinked in surprise as he heard a voice considerably smaller than what that giant toad must have been capable of. But just a few steps more revealed the truth to him; that massive monster wasn't the only living thing up there. Just in front of him, on two pedestals of their own, were a pair of remarkably smaller toads. These two, while still being as big as a small dog, were at least closer to normal. They both were clearly aged, one a male and the other female. Their cloaks looked almost as old as they were, and their stern looks actually surpassed Jiraiya's.

"Is this the boy then?" asked the female toad, the one with curly purple hair and lips of the same colour. She had a shrewd look around her face that showed Naruto no love, but that was perhaps a result of her position. She kept her attention fixed mostly on Naruto, studying his rather beastly features with apparent distaste. "Looks like he's not even house broken yet!"

"Don't be rude Ma, it was the great sage that asked him to come." replied the male toad, looking to the female with an equally firm expression. While "Ma" regarded Naruto in a less than respectful manner, this one stroked his white goatee, his thick brows rising in the air as he regarded Naruto through yellow eyes. Aside from these features, he had a tuft of hair sticking out from the top of his head, a particularly strange thing since Naruto had believed toads to be hairless. "Besides, from the look of things this kid is all heart and no brains. He won't be causing too much trouble."

Naruto was seriously tempted to put that theory to the test, but was stopped early by a booming chuckle that he could actually feel in his legs. The great toad sage was laughing at the comments of his two attendants, his hand slipping onto his belly which shook like something was trying to escape. "Now now you two, there's no need to insult our guests!" he said, his voice immediately quietening Ma and the other toad. When he finished making this statement however, he looked over his two visitors with a rather mystified expression, before raising the question. "Who are you again?"

Confused by the strange situation, Naruto had started to answer. But he had barely formed his first syllable before he was interrupted by Ma, who whipped around and waved her fist at the great toad sage. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO CALLED FOR THEM YOU SENILE OLD TWIT!" she barked, earning only a look of reproach from the toad who had named her. The toad sage however simply cocked his head perplexedly, still wearing a kind smile that Naruto doubted was due to anything but simple mindedness.

"Fukasaku-sama, Shima-sama, if I may?" Jiraiya asked, taking a step closer to the great sage. It seemed he was used to dealing with the revered toad's forgetfulness, for he was the only person who totally brushed it off as if it weren't important. His forward movement drew the elder toad's attentions, the greatest of the three showing the slightest glimmer of recognition. "Ojiji-sama, last time we met you said you wanted to meet a boy who was like a cat on the outside, but a dog on the inside. Well this person, Uzumaki Naruto, is the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko. From what I've seen, he sounds a lot like that kind of person."

Naruto was the only person left confused by what he had just heard. So the reason he was brought here was by the whim of this old toad? That irritated him to no end, and made him deeply consider losing control _just a little_. But the great toad sage's cued musing made him hesitate, thinking there had better be a good reason for this. "Oh yes, this is the boy from my dreams!" the toad announced, with an inherently gleeful look about his wide face. When Jiraiya and the two small toads, Fukasaku and Shima, looked up at the sage in alarm, Naruto realised there was some significance behind this. The giant toad settled down from his excitement after a moment, looking straight at Naruto with a rather peaceful expression. "Yes, you are the boy I wanted to tell something to!"

In that moment the grand amphibian was treated to a strange display as four heads looked at each other alertly. Though Naruto was bewildered by what was going on, the shocked serious looks of the other three told him that he should be paying attention. "What is it?" he asked, frowning up at Ojiji-sama as he felt was appropriate. His question calmed down the others around him, and in a moment all attentions had returned to the sage once more.

"Well… there is one thing I want to ask…" the toad sage replied, as he somehow settled further back into his seat. Then for the first time since these five beings had joined together, the smile slid from his old and wrinkled face. Bated breaths were cast all around, the sage's two attendants looking over their shoulders in anticipation. Then the great toad's lips parted again, and released the question gathered in his mind. "… Who are you again?"

* * *

Seiji stared long and hard at the card gripped tight into his hands, his eyelids stretched to their fullest extent as sweat dripped down his brow. After all the stress of the exam, things were finally making sense to him. The headpieces, the Chunin guards, the booths, it had all come together and presented him with the answer to his own personal question. Now he knew what the true purpose of this exam was, that was hidden beneath all pretence.

"_They're trying to put as much stress on us as they can, to test us under pressure."_ were his thoughts, flying through his mind in the slowly passing seconds that the Chunin was watching him. _"They put us in places were we can't see the other examinees, so that anything that happens can only add to our nerves. The Chunin are watching us both to add to the pressure and to make sure no one does anything dangerous. And then there's _this._"_

He read the question to himself one more time, knowing the Chunin was counting the seconds until time was out. The question proposed a situation to Seiji, a mission scenario he had to imagine. He and two team mates were inside enemy territory, and had been found out. One team mate was in possession of the mission objective, and could flee at the cost of that objective. The other team mate however could not flee on their own. Seiji was asked then if he would go after his first team mate and ensure the mission objective, or if he would assist his other team mate at the cost of failing the mission.

"_That isn't a problem solving question; it's philosophical."_ he thought, as he considered every possible outcome. He placed the card down on the table and looked the Chunin in the eye with as steady a look as he was being given. If the question was philosophical, then there was no right answer. That meant the purpose of this question was to tip the person taking it over the edge. To that end then, there was only one possible response he could give to this question. "I'm gonna have to forfeit now."

The Chunin held the stare for a moment, waiting to see if Seiji's resolve would waver. But it didn't take him long to see that wouldn't happen, and so he reached into the desk compartment and pushed something, before waving his hand for Seiji to leave. "Please head into the waiting room and wait for your team mates to join you." he said, as he took the cards of questions Seiji had used and piled them up. As Seiji stood and left, the Chunin didn't glance at him for a moment.

Seiji stepped out of his booth and into the grid between the dozens of others. As he made his way to the door he had come through, he looked around him cautiously. By the look of things, more people than not had forfeited from the exam. It had certainly sounded like that, by the amount of footsteps that had passed him by during the course. He wondered how many people still _were_ participating, if there were questions like that in it. _"Then again, Konoha doesn't seem to like Suna that much."_ he told himself, as he approached the door. _"Maybe there weren't _that_ many people who were given bad questions."_ he added, as he reached the double doors and placed his hands upon them. _"Sorry… we don't have any more time."_

He pushed the doors open and let them swing shut behind, making his way through the hallway to the next doors. His brow creased in confusion however, as at the end of the hall he realised the doors were already open. And through them was Kyuuzo and Kaori, and to Seiji's surprise both of them were waiting beside Yamashiro Aoba. Seiji was taken aback by the sight of these two; did that mean that they had failed as well? While Kyuuzo was as straight faced as ever, Kaori had a look as if her very soul was about to slip out of her tired body. As a result, Seiji had no clue at all as to what he should expect. However, as Kaori's attention returned to reality, and she finally noticed Seiji, she let out a beam that almost forced the steel haired boy to shield his eyes.

"Hey Seiji-kun!" she called, waving at him frantically. Kyuuzo and Aoba both looked over to the final team mate as he approached, both with folded arms and blank expressions. But whatever their ambiguous looks gave out was ruined by the energized girl, who began jumping into the air alongside her waves. "We passed the exam, we passed it Seiji-kun!"

Seiji looked in surprise at Kaori, though he wasn't shocked to see she had quit before him, what she said and how she acted was _very_ different from what he had expected. As he approached the three of them he looked to Kyuuzo, who nodded in confirmation. To that end, Seiji let out a sigh of relief. So he had been right after all. When he reached his team mates and the proctor, he noticed Kaori's hands slip behind her back and an expectant smile appear on her face. Knowing exactly what she wanted, Seiji couldn't help but smirk. He raised his hand and placed it on her head, lightly petting her in reward for her success. "Good job." he said, as Kaori giggled happily.

"You all forfeited on the trap question, so you all may continue with the exam." Aoba said, leaning against the doorframe and looking into the waiting room. There were quite a few other teams there with their senseis, each looking either pleased with themselves, or trying hard _not_ to look pleased with themselves. Aoba took note of the fact that this team's sensei was nowhere in sight, before turning his attention back to the Genin he was with. "The purpose of the exam was to put you in a high stress situation where you don't know what's going on around you. Being able to stay level headed until the end and knowing when it was time to retreat. You all displayed this exceptionally well, and therefore have the right to participate in the second exam."

Kaori cheered in excitement, pumping the air with her fist. Seiji humoured her by doing the same, though both knew there was no chance in hell of Kyuuzo following suit. Kaori was simply glad she passed, for as far as she knew that was all this whole thing was about. But Seiji cast his eyes out the window, smiling to himself as he relaxed. They had succeeded in helping out, now for the next step. _"It's all up to you now."_

* * *

The three toad sages and the two Shinobi stared at each other, three out of five wearing stony expressions. The great toad looked as relaxed as ever and Naruto still looked tiredly bewildered. After being reminded once more of who the two before him were, Ojiji-sama had finally created the atmosphere he had had just a few moments ago. "Yes yes, there was something very important I had to tell you." he said, placing his hands on the rests to either side of him. He looked Naruto directly at Naruto, his smile kind but his eyes sharp. "I… have been having nightmares."

In an instant the other three sages had tensed to stone, their attentions firmly fixed upon their elder sage with stunned looks. "What was that?" Fukasaku exclaimed, his croaking voice cracking in shock. Naruto, who had been on the verge of turning around and walking away, remained where he was for the simple reason that he wanted to see where this play was going. For these old people to be so shocked about a senile frog having bad dreams, someone was definitely messing with him.

"You don't know, do you?" asked the great toad, his eyes causing Naruto to second guess himself. There was a strange quality about those eyes, as if the toad could see everything Naruto was and everything he could ever be. It was that which unnerved the feral looking boy to no end, that he seemed so easily _understood_ by this amphibian. "In my dreams, I can see the future. A long time ago, I had a dream about dear Jiraiya-chan here. I dreamt that he would teach the person who would either save the world, or destroy it."

"Wait a minute, what does that have-" Jiraiya began, before abruptly stopping at the great toad's raised hand.

"But three years ago I had that dream again, only this time things had changed." the eldest toad continued, as if he had never been interrupted at all. "With that faceless boy who would bring a new era to the world, there was something else. A haze of shadows hiding a storm of light trying to break out. This haze was draped over the boy's shoulders, whispering into his ear. Whatever that thing said, it incited one of the two paths that boy would take. And that path, was the one of destruction."

Fukasaku, Shima and Jiraiya each took a step away from the great sage, a sharp intake of breath forcing into their pale expressions. The two lesser toads looked to Jiraiya, and then to Naruto. It was clear things weren't making sense, but they seemed to understand more than the blond boy at the very least. "But Ojiji-sama, didn't you say Jiraiya-chan would train this person?" asked Shima, returning her gaze to the spiritual leader of the toads. "So what does this boy have to do with your dream?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Fukasaku replied, glancing to his partner toad from the corner of his eye. He nodded towards Jiraiya and Naruto, both of whom were looking back to him with clear cut frowns on their faces. A smirk appeared on the old toad's face, as he could already see the reaction that would come from his words. "Jiraiya-chan has been talking to the boy, and has also trained him. What's that if it's not a disciple?"

Shima raised her brow to the other attendant and looked at the two humans, realising what the other had said was true. Jiraiya and Naruto however were the last to comprehend this, slowly looking at each other with widening eyes. "EH?" they exclaimed, taking a step apart from each other and pointing accusingly. The great toad chuckled at the flamboyant pair; it wasn't often he had such lively company.

"You mean _this _brat is the person who's supposed to lead this world!"

"The hell I'm affiliated with this bastard like that!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Both humans stopped with their mouths wide open, prepared to exchange insults once again. But Shima's bellow had caused them to stop and look stupidly at her, wondering what they had done to incite the anger of this moody toad. "This is serious!" Shima snapped, stamping the ground indicatively. "The toad sage has never been wrong before! If his prophecy has changed, that means there is someone out there with the power to change it!"

"My wife is right." Fukasaku agreed, with an appreciative nod to Shima for bringing focus to an important point. He looked over to the great sage for confirmation, and was met with a slight but jovial nod that didn't quite match the atmosphere. "If there really is something like that, then there may be nothing we can do to stop it." he continued, looking over to Jiraiya and Naruto once again. "From what I understand, if this force does come to the destined person, then all it will do is push the path of destruction, but not make it definite. We will need to do what we can to counteract that force, so Jiraiya-chan, you understand what needs to be done right?"

Naruto looked to Jiraiya, beginning to understand what was going on. If this toad sage could really see the future, then that was something that far surpassed his own comprehension. But what he did know was that if what he'd heard was true, then there was no way this old bastard could just leave him alone. And judging by the look said bastard was wearing, he was right to think that. "Naruto-san, hear me out on this one alright?" he said, without looking at the person he spoke to. "I know you want nothing to do with Konoha, and your current situation may make you reluctant to do anything that may benefit the village, but I have an offer for you. If you and your group allies itself with Konoha, we won't stand in the way of your gathering the Jinchuriki. You've already upset the power balance too much anyway, so taking the rest will be the only way to avoid all out war. All that we ask is you allow us to watch over what you do. Is that acceptable, or do we have to take other measures?"

Naruto stared hard as Jiraiya met his gaze, not allowing Naruto's look to cause his own to weaken. If this situation were different, if so many strange things hadn't been thrown his way, Naruto was sure he would have laughed in Jiraiya's face for suggesting such a thing. But those last few words, "other measures", didn't sound the least bit comforting. So he had been right that there was no way to keep Konoha uninvolved. In that case, there was only one answer he could give, until he got the chance to speak to his comrades. _Then_ he would decide how to deal with this. But as for now…

"Fine."


	4. Tragic words of the past

Well... I can't say I'm sure how this chapter will be recieved. Even I'm not all that certain about what the hell happened. But I would like to clarify something. It seems that some of you (at least one) are under the strange impression (don't know how) that the chosen one from the last chapter is Sasuke. So just to make sure there are no mistakes, I'll make it clear now. Naruto and the rest of Yoinokuchi are primary characters. Pein, Neji and Kisame are secondary characters. Sasuke is MAYBE a tertiary character, depending on what I do with him. There's a chance he may be secondary, but he will NEVER be the most important person in this story. As for the other part, Naruto did NOT agree to help Konoha. What his and Jiraiya's deal was was that if Yoinokuchi caused no problems for Konoha, Konoha would cause no problems for Yoinokuchi. That's all. Rant over.

Disclaimer: Remember, all theories are welcome. Like I said, I'm still uncertain about what the hell I just did, so any guesses could help solidify my own decision.

* * *

**Tragic words of the past take my breath away**

The cell was quiet, as it always was. The inmates had long given up on their voices, perhaps having lost all hope of ever seeing daylight again. For these people, life outside these walls was a myth they had almost forgotten, confusing those times of the past with their dreams. It took the kind of resolve that would be admired by most, for one to maintain their sanity like this. However, this rule didn't apply to all the residents here. There was one person who saw sunlight quite often, unbeknownst to the guards around him. It was that person who lay in his bed with his eyes fixed on the steel door ahead of him, listening for the sounds he knew out to be coming around now.

Naruto had been returned to this room despite agreeing to Jiraiya's terms. He had been here for two days since then, knowing that it would take time for arrangements to be made with the Hokage and whoever else was involved. But Naruto wasn't too concerned about this; he knew his comrades would be coming to help him break out of here, and had faith in their success. All he knew was that when he was reunited with his partner once more, Jiraiya could take his offer and shove it up his old, saggy-

He stopped his thought before it could be finished, as a light tapping sound filled his ears. The time had come to take that measure, the one he had planned since the time he was given a sign that he was no longer alone. He hesitated for just a second, forcing himself on at the thought of staying here longer because he was afraid of a little pain. With that, he opened his jaw and bit into his cheek, wincing as his sharpened teeth pierced the skin. But he wasted no more time, and instead sucked on his self inflicted wound until he had gathered just enough blood in his mouth. Then, with expert precision, he let out a small volley of crimson spit that arced through the air and hit the ground by the door with a splat. His timing couldn't have been better, for it was then that the tapping came to a stop, and was replaced by the grinding of the opening door.

As expected, Sakura was right on time. She greeted Naruto with a smile before she could stop herself, and instead made up for it with a cough and roughly closing the door. But Naruto didn't mind the contradictory attitude; Sakura had already stepped in his bloody spit. "Yo Sakura-chan, I was wondering something." he said, as his pink nurse stepped around him to check on the monitors and such. "You don't happen to know about a guy, used to work for Konoha, called "Hyuuga Neji"?"

Sakura looked up from the heart monitor with a sudden frown, already answering Naruto's question. "Hyuuga Neji?" she repeated, as she straightened up and studied Naruto's expression with cynical interest. Now of course, Naruto was certain. "He's the cousin of one of my team mates. How do _you_ know who Hyuuga Neji is?"

Naruto shrugged in reply, before slipping back into his reclined position. It looked like he had had some luck in asking Sakura then, even if it wasn't quite as ideal as he would like. "Me and him have a bit of a score to settle." he explained, looking up at the ceiling with a half bitter, half cocky expression. "Me and him have a habit of crossing paths. He showed up a few months back with that other guy from our class-"

Before Naruto could finish his sentence however, Sakura grabbed his wrist suddenly. Looking up at her curiously, he noticed an oddly frantic look on what was usually a blank face. "You fought Sasuke-kun?" she demanded, her eyes both pleading and insistent. Naruto stared back at her with a discontented look, before an insane realisation struck his mind.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me." he said, in a flat tone. He knew that Uchiha Sasuke, another old classmate, had been quite the heartthrob back in the academy days. In fact, it was one of the many things he had hated about academy life, that someone like him effortlessly caught the attention of all the girls while he himself received only dirty looks from them. So hearing this was like the cherry on the pile of crap that had been his school days. "You _still_ got a crush on that bastard?"

But Sakura ignored his question in favour of her own. Forgetting all of her reservations and the rules set to her by the Hokage, she gripped Naruto's shoulders tight and forced her face in front of his. "Where is he?" she demanded, searching Naruto's two eyes for the answer. From the look on her face, Naruto could tell no single reply would satisfy her "curiosity". "How is he? What was he doing? Did he say anything?"

"Geez!" Naruto exclaimed, shrugging Sakura's hands from his shoulders. He looked at the anxious girl with an incredulous expression, which made her take a couple of steps back. He had known that Sakura followed Sasuke like a lost puppy, being one among many, but just how unstable _was_ she? It was bad enough that she could like a moody guy like that without breaking Naruto's neck just to find out how he had been doing.

Embarrassed from her outburst, Sakura hurriedly turned away and began looking the monitors over once again. But Naruto could plainly see she wasn't paying attention by the glazed look in her eyes. Shocked though he had been, he couldn't resist smirking at this. If Sakura was really that hung up on Sasuke, then there was another little thing that could make his job easier. He relaxed back into his position once again, refusing to look away from Sakura's humiliated face.

"So you wanna find Uchiha Sasuke huh?" he asked, noticing Sakura's flickering eyes. It was a rhetorical question, he could easily tell without asking. But gaining that attention he now had was important; Sakura was ready to listen to just about anything he had to say. And _that_, was why she was useful right now. "But does Konoha even _want_ him back? Isn't it standard protocol or something to kill anyone who abandons their village?"

He saw the twitch in Sakura's hand that nearly turned off his heart monitor. She was too easy, was she really a kunoichi? If it was like this, then he knew exactly what to say to her. "You know, I'm gonna find Hyuuga Neji, and Uchiha Sasuke." he said, earning the eyes of Sakura once again. He didn't hide his smirk; he wanted to see the look on her face in full detail, with his own expression in mind. "I wonder what will happen then?"

* * *

The sun was fortunately bright today, and the sky luckily clear. The shadows of the trees and buildings were darker in contrast, making for better cover from hindered eyes. The building ahead, just twenty yards away, was a featureless monolith of stone. Only small windows to the hallways would allow any light to enter. The entrance was guarded by a pair of Konoha Shinobi bearing red spike like markings on their cheeks, and standing with a large dog each. From what Shimada Kanbei understood, these guards were from the Inuzuka clan of Shinobi.

He was downwind of those dogs, and made no greater sounds than that of a squirrel or a bird. He brushed some of his hair from his eyes as he watched the entrance with an uneasy expression. It was this place he had to infiltrate, and since it was time for the Chunin exams, security was thankfully low. _"Alright, now I just gotta find an opportunity."_ he told himself. But his attentions were soon to waver, as his face squirmed into a look of clear discomfort. _"This body feels weird!"_

The ears of the dogs pricked up suddenly, and Kanbei became worried that he had been noticed. But when the mutts turned their heads towards the opening door of the prison, he realised that wasn't the case. From the shadows of the doorway stepped out a pink haired girl in a nurse's uniform, looking rather distraught as she hurriedly left the building behind. But for some reason the dogs were unwilling to allow her easy passage out, the second she passed around the corner they ran after her, their owners following closely. Seeing his chance, Kanbei disappeared from his place and flew inside the still closing doorway. From what he had been told, opening it himself would have triggered an alarm.

He couldn't believe his luck, what were the odds of an opportunity coming just like that? Standing with his back against the closed door, he noticed dark marks on the floor where that girl must have walked. Had she perhaps stepped in something? _"Gah- why am I thinking about _that_?"_ he asked himself, gripping his head as he roughly shook it. He had no time to dawdle, only time to run. The guards would be returning to their posts soon, perhaps to investigate what had caused that disturbance in the first place.

Running through the halls of the prison, Kanbei's eyes flew across the numbers on the doors he passed by. He knew the particular one he was looking for, but not where he would find it. These cells used both numbers and letters, apparently he was in the A wing where he needed the F wing. It was then that he found himself once again caught in a stroke of luck however, as he realised even in these dark corridors he could make out the dark stains from where that girl had come. From what he could remember of the instructions he had been given, those stains coincided. But even if they didn't take him where he needed to be, he would at least learn something of the layout of this place. And that of course was a benefit no matter how you looked at it.

"_Mo-oh, Naruto, you're too much trouble!"_

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes blearily, trying hard to work out how he had managed to fall asleep. The last thing he remembered was baiting Sakura about Sasuke, and then things got fuzzy after that. She must have increased the dosage of the sedative, had she been trying to kill him? The thought of that made him smirk, but soon after he was left confused. If she had wanted to drug him to death, why only put in a little more? If she was trying to kill him, she should have emptied the whole thing into his veins. When he came to understand that truth, he curiously looked over to the IV that contained the drug keeping him unable to fight back. But in doing so he learned another shocking truth; the IV had been knocked down onto the floor.

"_What?"_ he thought, as he saw the IV line lying down on the floor, and not embedded in his arm. It had been disconnected? But how did that happen? Looking around for answers, he found other irregularities as well. All the monitors connected to him were going haywire, lights and metres flying as if they had been caught in a static storm. But there was no way Naruto's body was going through what those metres read, right? He would certainly feel it, even if he was coming out of a drug induced sleep. All he could feel was the buzz in his head, and the stinging of his bite wound. But now that he thought about it, he did feel unusually warm on his right-

"Are you awake dear?"

Naruto froze, as a sudden wave of chills rushed down his spine as if his very skeleton was freezing over. Never before had he felt something like this, something that paralysed not his body, _but his mind._ Slowly he turned his head around, his eyes widening to their fullest extent and his lips parting in shock. Merely a few seconds later, he was face to face with something that was completely, totally, and undeniably impossible.

A dark figure was lying beside him, an arm resting on his chest and a leg draped over his own. The shadow took on the form of a woman, naked but undefined. This woman had long, billowing hair that seemed to flow in a nonexistent breeze. But what was most notable, was the way she looked at Naruto with her eyeless face, an impossibly wide and toothless smile shining a light that failed to leave her body. It was this figure who was the source of the warmth, this woman who lightly stroked Naruto's bare chest.

"Wakey wakey Mr Sleepyhead." the woman spoke, with a voice that soothed Naruto's ears. With his arms still pinned, more so considering the weight placed on one of them, he was left with little more option than to watch as she lifted her hand to drag her fingers through his messy, uncut hair. The figure's smile stretched even wider, arcing up her cheeks in a manner that left Naruto feeling uneasy. "Don't you want to play a while?"

Naruto's breath escaped him in a long exhale, one that mysteriously condensed into the air as a fine mist. In spite of the sedative still in his veins, his heart was beating as if he was running through fire. Yet at the same time, his left side was growing colder in contrast to his right. He was beginning to feel delirious, was this a result of the drugging? Somehow he didn't believe that, this… _woman_ had a strange presence that Naruto just couldn't deny. If anything, she felt more real than he did right now. Everything around him, including himself, was groggy. But not her.

"I really want to see you play around for a while." the woman continued, hooking her arm around the back of Naruto's neck. Then, in a grip that Naruto couldn't possibly break, she began pulling their faces closer together. As the darkness of her blank visage filled Naruto's vision, and he felt a pair of cold, soft lips press against his own, he was granted one last sound before sleep was drawn onto him once again. "The whole world is your playground; feel free to break it if you wish."

* * *

Kanbei stopped suddenly, his brow creasing as he felt something quite unusual. The ground beneath his feet shook, and somewhere off to the distance he heard a deep groan, like a giant's yawn. He had been following the dark trail for a while now, and had managed to find the F wing he had been told to look for. But now that he was here, he was treated to a worrisome sight; one of the doors was casting a bright light from its edges, brighter than all the rest. Had one of the inmates escaped? If so… was it _that_ inmate?

Without a second's hesitation he rushed to the door, realising it was the one he had been looking for, and grabbed hold of the handle before trying to open it. But the door was locked tight, meaning that Kanbei would have to resort to other methods if he wanted to get in. However, since the ruckus that had come from inside that room had probably alerted any nearby guards, discretion wasn't something he could afford.

Slipping the black gloves off of his hands, he took the handle in hold again while his other formed a single seal. He waited for just a couple of moments, before releasing the melting handle and pushing the door open.

The room was barren, broken and bare of all signs of life. Monitors and IVs were scattered across the floor, with a messy bed hanging a little out of a gaping hole leading to the woods outside. Kanbei stepped into the room, and for some strange reason was hit with the sudden urge to sneeze. "Chu!" he exhaled, with a curious look on his face. But rather than investigate the reason behind the sudden irritation of his nasal passage, he was more interested in his missing quarry. Running over to the forced opening, he looked over the treetops for any signs of the person he was looking for. Naruto couldn't have gotten far, but he was fast. _"You idiot, you should have waited for us!"_

Grunting in annoyance, Kanbei took several steps back before launching himself out into the open air. As he soared over the greenery, he whipped around and hurled a pair of kunai bearing paper tags back into the cell he had just abandoned. As his attention turned once more to the direction he as moving, and the tips of the trees met his feet, a pair of fiery explosions cast from the room behind. It would be better if the guards thought it was an assassination, and not a jailbreak. And if any prisoners broke free, that was just a bonus.

Landing on the branches beneath the blanket of leaves, caught sight of the person he was forced to chase. Relief washed through him with a grin and a feeling of elation as he recognised the back of Uzumaki Naruto. Even if his hair was longer and his clothes were different, there was no doubt in his mind. But that person was acting rather peculiarly, running on the ground in erratic patterns, head swinging around as if he were desperately searching for something. Kanbei knew that if left to his own devices, Naruto would suddenly start causing trouble. And so to combat this, he too dropped to the ground and began to hastily follow his familiar person.

"Hey, Naruto-kun!" he called, as he too was drawn into the blond boy's zigzag like running pattern. Naruto didn't seem to hear him however; he was too wrapped up with his own thoughts to notice the voice far behind him. Kanbei considered trying another method of approach, but before he could try anything this target suddenly darted off to the left. Cursing the seemingly random movements of this boy, Kanbei tried to meet Naruto where he ran, hoping that would close enough distance to get him noticed. "Naru- whoa!"

He suddenly stopped, realising that Naruto had not been running irregularly, but with a destination in mind. He dashed out into a clearing in the woods, to a small building settled by a great cliff. The building was of a similar style to the prison from before, but not much bigger than a few stacked shacks. This building too was guarded, but this time only by one person. Though the Shinobi watching over the place noticed the inconsistent boy approaching him at high speeds, he failed to react before he was slammed against the wall behind him by some unseen force. Then, before he hit the ground, Naruto was upon him.

Kanbei watched as Naruto crushed the guard's throat, before tossing the suffocating Shinobi aside. He was shocked by how ruthless they boy was being, but more shocked by the offhand way he had done it. It had been more like swatting a fly in passing, rather than taking down someone who was in the way. Naruto had already forgotten the guard was there, he was too caught up doing two things. One hand was shielding his eyes, while the other was being placed against the door to the building. After a bone crunching crack, the door shattered into countless pieces. Kanbei actually felt a little worried for his own wellbeing. _"I should call the others…"_

Unfortunately that was a task easier said than done. The rest of the team were elsewhere, taking care of some very important things that were best done uninterrupted. And on another note; he didn't really have a way to contact them in any case. There was only one choice then, one choice that could allow him to get to Naruto without being torn apart. _"And… in hindsight…"_ he told himself, once more looking a little disgruntled. _"Maybe I should have done that from the start."_

Still unsure of himself however, Kanbei took a moment to catch a breath. Once he was sure he could put it off no longer, he straightened up and began walking towards the place Naruto had disappeared into. Still wanting to take the stealth approach, he moved through a thin path between tall bushes that allowed only fleeting glimpses of his form. Almost as soon as he was obscured by these however, he seemed to disappear, and was replaced by another person entirely. That person continued on the path Kanbei had been walking, with the same deliberation as that person had possessed.

"_He looked pretty wild just now… is he in a bad state?" _thought the person inside the bushes, as a fleeting glimpse of who was inside was allowed. The figure hidden in the shadows of the bushes was remarkably shorter than Kanbei, but little else could be discerned in the current state. One thing was certain however; the person known as Kanbei no longer existed in this place. _"Well, I should be fine at least."_

"Naruto-kun?" that person called, the voice of a girl, carefully approaching the coughing building. From the sounds of things, Naruto was going pretty wild in there, though the reason wasn't quite apparent. There had been no cries or sounds of a struggle, so it seemed that there was no one else present in that building right now. So then that meant he was looking for something, and as _she_ thought about it for a moment, she realised what it may just be. "I'm coming in!"

The noises stopped as the girl embraced the shadows, becoming a silhouette to the head that turned to look at her. She returned the attention to Naruto, who was blinking at her curiously. But before he could recognise her, he shook his head vigorously and returned to his search. He had knocked over several boxes filled with random equipment, ropes, kunai, books, all in a fervent search for another something.

However, after only a few moments more of this, he hesitated, before diving his hands in. Then, with the strength of several full grown men, he wrenched from the depths of the confiscated equipment a giant object that gleamed in the light. Naruto fell onto his rear, looking at the huge sword with a clear smile. The great sword felt good in his hands, the azure sheen to the steel blade and the crimson coloured groove in the centre were a sight for sore eyes. Gripping the golden hilt tight, he rose himself to his feet once more, looking remarkably calmer now that once more, the Ekokaeten was in his possession.

With a breath of relief, he slid the giant sword in place on his back. He felt his chakra magnetising with the blade's, holding it in place without any need of physical assistance. Then he turned to the door, pausing as he remembered that he wasn't alone. The girl standing before him smiled at him, but he couldn't see the girl's face. Believing her to be a threat, he took a dangerous step forward, the look on his face causing the girl to take a step back in reply. There, the sunlight cast on her face, and Naruto froze in surprise.

It had been a long time, months to be exact. Though that girl had grown little, it was clear to see she had changed a lot. Her tea green hair had grown just a little, tied back into a short and messy ponytail. The feathered fringe sat just above her carmine pink eyes, round even by her normal standards considering her shock. Her skin was tanned, and slim as ever, yet shone with a slight layer of sweat from all the running she had done. Though she had a look like a rabbit spotting a wolf, Naruto relaxed at the sight of this girl.

"Long time no see, Fuu." he said, grinning at the girl who was one of his dear comrades. He looked her up and down, noticing it wasn't just her hair that had changed. Her vest and arm protectors had been traded in for a white, long sleeved shirt, one that still gave a rather gratuitous view of her bare midriff. Beneath that was an equally pale sarong, which completely concealed her right leg while leaving her left on full display. The white sandals were the same as ever, but Naruto had enough fuel to light the fire he could see coming, and with his thumb rising in the air, he prepared the spark. "Like the new look; very sexy."

He felt his own sense of relief as the reaction he predicted came just in time. Fuu's face flushed in a look of embarrassment that quickly turned to anger, before she threw her arms down like a spoiled child and glared in annoyance at Naruto. "Mo-oh!" she complained, her lips instantly pouting in just the way the blond boy remembered. "Don't say stuff like that; it's embarrassing!"

Naruto couldn't help himself from laughing away, glad to see the face of someone he liked for a change. But even he was surprised by how grateful he must have felt, lifting his arm to his eyes to wipe away the tears he could feel brewing. "Sorry, couldn't help myself!" he said, not wanting to get into one of his comrade's bad books so soon into being reunited. He stepped out from the ruined building and drew his arm from his face, still wearing a broad grin. "Man, I must look like a coward or something!"

But from the look on Fuu's face, that didn't seem to be the case. Though he still felt the tears flowing, the girl in front of him didn't seem at all glad to see him reacting emotionally. In fact, he thought the look on her face looked more… _horrified_, than at ease. Frowning in confusion at her, Naruto reached back to take the Ekokaeten with the intent of looking at his reflection in the steel. But his arm had barely made it halfway there before he stopped. Staring at the bandages, he felt his heart stop for a second as he realised something terrifying. He was crying, true enough, but those tears had died the cloth red. And as more slipped past his lips, and his tongue eased out for a taste, he realised the shocking truth. His eyes were bleeding.


	5. Your truth is questioned by my illusion

Argh, this one was a pain in the ass to write. I wasn't sure how I was gonna end it, and so didn't know how to handle each scene that came. Peter Kim, I need you to understand that I'm not making excuses. Sasuke is not the one, I'm sticking with canon by keeping Naruto and Nagato as the ones. I'm not the kind of person who deviates unnecessarily like that, I promise that nothing from the toad sage meeting that was said had the slightest relevence to Sasuke. I can't emphasise it anymore than that. As for your belief that Naruto is going to help Konoha, maybe this chapter will prove what side he is really on. Please don't slander me like that, if I gave the wrong impression in the last AN it's because I was trying not to make it personal.

Disclaimer: Who else knew what little trick Minato was gonna pull in the latest chapter? I'd have thought Madara would have seen THAT coming!

* * *

**Your truth is questioned by my illusion**

The morning had turned at an insane speed, the peace shattering in favour of chaos and discord. Like the first roll of thunder to the distance, alerting the shepherds of the threat to their flock, Konoha Shinobi flew through the woods to investigate the cause of the sudden disturbance. For a time of year like this, it was no one's surprise that something dangerous would happen. With their forces spread out painfully, there was little that could be done to avoid certain situations. A jailbreak however, was definitely one of the more frightening possibilities.

Fuu crouched down behind one of the large dumpsters, looking out into the crowded street outside. None of the villagers knew of what had happened; the Shinobi had made sure to move in a manner that wouldn't cause a panic. Blending into that crowd would be almost effortless, as long as there were no sensor nin to detect the use of a henge. That would be the easiest option, but not the preferential one. Looking over her shoulder, the reason for that became painstakingly clear once again.

They had been unable to figure out a reason for what happened to Naruto's eyes; neither of them had the medical knowledge for a split second diagnosis. As the best solution on offer, Fuu had made Naruto remove the bandages from his arms and tie one around his head like a blindfold. The other was wrapped around his wrist, with one end gripped in Fuu's hand. There was absolutely no way Naruto could move on his own, not in the state he was in.

"_We need to find the others anyway, maybe they can figure out what to do." _Fuu told herself, her hold on the bandage tightening. It had been her impression that breaking Naruto out of the prison would have been the hardest part, since she could rely on him to get them out of here afterwards. But with this unsettling development, it was up to her to make the decisions, and make sure they worked. That really made her nervous, but she knew there was no helping it. "Do you think you can use the henge no Jutsu?"

Naruto looked up at the place where he heard Fuu's voice. He was hesitant to answer, since he wasn't too sure himself. "I don't know, I'm still feeling groggy from the drugs." he replied, rubbing the side of his head and wincing in pain. He had shifted his bandages, resulting in a flicker of light singing his apparently hypersensitive eyes. It seemed the bleeding had been caused by the exposure to sunlight, which was why he was blindfolded now. "Still, since all eyes will be on you, at least I won't have to make it to impressive."

He instinctively raised his arm, anticipating Fuu's punch just as it came. He let out a slight laugh, ending it with a small smile. All teasing aside, he was genuinely surprised at how Fuu was coping with the situation. The girl he remembered would have been panicking by now, but she seemed to be in control. It was a really weird feeling, the idea that he could actually rely on her right now. Privately, he wondered if it was ok to tell her that. _"Maybe later…"_

Right now however, he had other things to do. Slipping his hands into the ram seal, he carefully gathered his chakra and prepared the henge, knowing one mistake would probably kill both of them. It was too late to turn back though, so without hesitation he activated the Jutsu, taking on the visage of a short, blind old man with a large rucksack on his back. Though he was unable to check himself out, as long as Fuu thought it was ok then that would be fine.

The two of them waited for a while longer, watching the ebbs and flows of the crowd for a chance to sneak in. No matter how you looked at it, it would be suspicious if a young girl and an old man suddenly wandered out of an alleyway. Though the thought probably wasn't on Fuu's mind, Naruto couldn't help wondering what would happen if they got arrested under suspicion of indecent acts. For one thing, he knew of one particular prankster who would most likely pass out laughing.

"Come on." Fuu said, straightening up and giving a light tug of the bandage. Naruto rose as well, following her as they made their way into the crowd. But once they were in the crowd, Fuu realised navigating Naruto would be difficult. She shortened the length of the bandage until their hands were almost touching, all the while making sure Naruto stayed behind her. "Come on Ojiisan, it's just this way."

The people of the crowd were at least gracious enough to give the girl and her blind grandfather room to move, but Naruto was still rather cautious. His senses were dulled; even his taste seemed a little messed up. The metallic quality from the blood he had tasted now had an oddly sweet flavour to it. Although when he realised that his sense of smell was working just fine, he came to understand that there was a reason for the messed up flavour.

"Hey, there's a ramen bar nearby right?" he asked, his voice sounding odd as an old man, considering he had no awareness of being one. His change in appearance however was made clear to him when he accidentally bumped into Fuu, who had stopped to check, and felt the fabric of her shirt against his face. Perhaps he had made his henge too short? "Let's go in there, we can get organised better."

Fuu found the place Naruto spoke of, a small shop by the name of Ichiraku Ramen. Deciding that idea was better than what she had, she steadily directed Naruto to that place. She had already received instructions on what she was supposed to do once she had received Naruto, but those instructions had been taken with the impression that Naruto would be raring to tear Konoha apart for locking him up. Under these new conditions, some revision would have to be made. _"It's a good idea."_ she told herself, oblivious to the hungry look growing on the old man's face.

* * *

In the village of Konohagakure, there was a place that could be seen from almost anywhere you looked. That place was the landmark that represented everything the village was, it's past, present, and in a sense, its future. This landmark was a grand sculpture carved into a cliff consisting of five faces, the heads of Hokage past, and the current one as well. This place was the pride of the village, and to some, even a goal. But at this time, the main focus of the village was not this impressive monument, but far over it, just under a mile away.

Where the village itself released a rustic charm, far past the dry plateau there was a deep canyon where the rivers intersected and flowed back out in other directions. Down there was a hive of valleys, and further down still a maze of tunnels. It was these allegedly uncharted paths that were the location of the second of the Chunin exams. The remaining participants, less than a third of those who had entered at the start, had been given a task to complete. They were to find three "truths" among the many "lies" hidden in the mystery of the deep. But they had all been forewarned that there were a certain number of said truths, so those who wanted to pass would need to be ready for battle.

That was the mission team Kanbei had been given, but right now it seemed they were in no particular rush. Relaxing nearby one of the many streams, Seiji and Kaori watched as Kyuuzo sat atop a rock in a meditative position. The hooded boy had remained there for at least an hour now, focusing on his self appointed task, whatever that may be. For that time he was left undisturbed while Seiji and Kaori kept an eye out for any Genin teams who got too close.

"I know she's the best for infiltration," Seiji said, folding his arms and leaning against the boulder behind him. He spoke quietly, so not to disturb Kyuuzo, but kept his eyes on the focusing boy as he spoke. Ever since the exams started, he had had a hard time giving Kaori even a fleeting glance; it was just too weird for him to handle. "But I don't like sending her out on her own like this."

Despite his already clear discomfort, Kaori sidled up beside him and hooked her arm around his neck. "Don't worry so much!" the girl replied, with the broad grin of someone who _knew_ they were making the person they were with uncomfortable. This wasn't the same Kaori who had come to Konoha; it was almost like she was another person entirely. "With all the special training you've been giving her, she'll be just fine!" she exclaimed, before giving a sideward sneer. "Unless you two have been doing _something else_ all this time?"

Seiji roughly shook Kaori's arm off of him, shuddering from the implicating look the girl was giving him. Unable to contain himself any more, he looked straight at Kyuuzo and spoke clearly enough to be heard by the otherwise unaware person. "Is there any need for us to still look like this?" he demanded, clearly uncomfortable with his other team mate's antics, enough so to take a risk like this.

Kyuuzo slowly opened his eyes, looking like he had just woken up from a deep sleep. He watched the valley wall opposite, not looking to even in the slightest sense have heard what Seiji had asked him. "They have placed a barrier around the perimeter of the canyon, a detection field from what I can tell." he said, in as impassive a tone as he could muster. Just after that though, his body flickered and was replaced by the form of Sabaku no Gaara, who looked over his shoulder at the two Suna Genin. "But it's not the same as the barrier around Konohagakure. We should be able to get back to the village underground, since we're still inside the limits."

Seiji gave a nod of reply, but more than that was relieved to finally be able to stop using this henge. Just like with Kyuuzo, Seiji's form disappeared in a faint shimmer and was replaced with the body of another, slightly taller boy. This person had messy, straw coloured hair that parted on the left, and pale skin with a black marking similar to a stitched cut leading up his left cheek and ending at his amethyst eyes.

He took a couple of steps away from the boulder and began performing stretches, groaning slightly in effort. "I don't know why henge's always make me feel cramped." he said, as he adjusted his black muscle shirt and the pale green tassets wrapped over his dark slacks. "We'll need to move fast if we're gonna back Fuu up. Considering she's with Naruto, it wouldn't surprise me if they've got every last guard chasing after them."

"You're too serious, Yagura-niisan." said a young man with scruffy brown hair, who had placed his hand on the shorter boy's shoulder. Yagura looked up at the young man with half closed eyes, meeting the amber ones of his comrade that had an ever present gleam of mischief in them. Once again Yagura found himself looking over the midnight blue kimono this person wore, adorned with large white circles and bearing huge sleeves that hid his hands completely. He had never known someone who dressed so similarly to a monk, and yet acted so unlike one. However, the almost completely bare chest and sliver talisman of a triangle inside a circle were fine representations that this person was far from monk-like. "Naruto's not as stupid as you make him out to be. He just gets overexcited sometimes."

Yagura blinked at the other guy, not showing if he had actually taken anything the boy had said in. "Geez Utakata, I figured you of all people would know when I'm being serious or not." he replied, with a somewhat sceptical look about him. As Utakata smiled mysteriously back at him, Yagura let out a tired sigh and walked towards Gaara, who had slid off the rock and onto his feet. "If it's a weak barrier Jutsu, then it's probably designed to sense chakra alone. If that's the case, all we have to do is find the right chakra frequency to pass through undetected. No Genin should have that level of chakra control, so we should be able to use that to sneak out."

"That may not be the case." Utakata said, moving to Yagura's right so that there was equal distance between the three of them. Yagura and Gaara both looked to Utakata, who was their senior by just a couple of years. He had more experience in the ways of Shinobi than the other two combined, since his days as a hunter nin for Kirigakure. Where Yagura understood Jutsu, Utakata understood the people _using_ the Jutsu. "From what I heard, the invasion of the last exams started with one of the legendary Sannin sneaking into the second exam. Most likely they've taken other measures for detection as well."

Yagura and Utakata glanced at each other, knowing it wasn't often one of them put down the other's idea. Perhaps that was a demonstration of their growth since parting ways. Both of them looked at Gaara, who had an area of expertise that neither of the other two had achieved. He had the ability to stay completely indifferent at all times, and could rationalise any point down to the slightest point his awareness could allow. Combined with his immediate understanding of the landscape, brought on by years of living in the wilderness, he could come up with strategies in almost a heartbeat. Therefore, with this much time on their hands, something like this was child's play.

"These valleys act as the intersection point for many rivers, so this canyon isn't completely enclosed." he said, casting his eyes far off to the left. When they had been introduced to this place, getting a full sense of the scale was impossible. No one was meant to know just how large the place truly was, and therefore be unable to tell just where they were. "There we can use the landscape to our advantage. If we start a rockslide, we can slip out through the river."

"Because barrier Jutsu are weaker where there's moving water!" Yagura murmured, seeing Gaara's logic with a raised brow. Once more the former secret weapon of Sunagakure had proven his skill; neither of the other two would have realised that possibility so fast. It was a fine plan, assuming that the barrier Jutsu were as weak there as anywhere else. "And even if we get spotted, the guards won't be able to send word in time to stop us!"

"That's the theory." Gaara replied, as he swept his duster behind him. Looking off far along the river's course, he fixed his eyes upon the obstructed path towards the place their exit lay. A loyal breeze carrying grains of sand blew past him, and curved to touch the gourd on his back. After a few seconds to gather his tools back, he took the first step forward. "Let's go."

* * *

Naruto, who was still in the guise of an old man, looked up to the place where he could sense Fuu. A small smile played across his face, as gently as the steam from the bowl before him. "So that's how it is huh?" he asked, as he blindly picked up the pair of chopsticks near the source of the pork and noodle scent. Though it was true he had a selfish agenda for coming to this place, his love of Ichiraku's ramen knew no bounds, but he also seemed genuinely interested in all Fuu had told him. "So we just gotta sit tight until the others get here? Man, Gaara really loves to spoil my fun."

"You're not gonna cause trouble are you?"

Naruto smirked as he dipped his chopsticks into the bowl, able to find that at the very least. "You know what happened when they brought me here?" he asked, listening out for the sound of the caterers to ensure that he wouldn't be overheard. "I think in any situation I woulda just waited for an opportunity to escape. But the second they told me I was in Konoha, I snapped."

He stopped for a moment, picking up and slipping some of the noodles into his mouth. He could feel Fuu's eyes upon him, maybe trying to figure out if he was going to be a risk to his own rescue. But there were some things that needed to be said, some things he felt Fuu maybe needed to understand. He placed his chopsticks down and looked at the place he knew the girl to be, trying his best to focus his attention on where he imagined her eyes were, before speaking in a half serious, half curious voice. "What do you think you would do, if you found you were trapped inside Takigakure?"

Silence came from his posed question, but there was no denying the tension he felt, that which wasn't his own. Out of all of his comrades, Fuu was probably the most emotional. Therefore, she was the one who would most understanding what he was getting at when he asked her something like that. "Excuse me, can we get this to go?" he heard her call out, speaking to the waitress rather than replying to Naruto. But it was all the same, Naruto smirked as he got the answer he had been expecting.

Just a couple of minutes later, Fuu and the old blind man posing as her grandfather left the bar, making for some place Naruto wasn't all that aware of. It had been many years since he walked the streets of Konoha; his memories had waned in place of the countless places he had travelled to since leaving this village. He felt strange like this, since during his time in prison his daydreams of escape usually involved him using secret routes he had discovered as a child. But here he was getting escorted by someone who had never even been to the village before this. For some reason, this situation irked him even more because of that.

"… How was it?"

Naruto looked up at Fuu's voice once again, as the girl led him on through the streets of the place he would never call home again. He had barely been able to maintain his sanity in that cell, listening to the guards joking about their latest "catch" and trying desperately not to give them the satisfaction of screaming in anger. "If my eyes weren't like this, I don't think I'd be hearing anything you're saying right now." he replied, in the serious kind of tone he hadn't hoped he'd need to use so soon. But it was true, as the effects of sedative faded away, he became truly aware of his own killer intent. He had never realised just how immense the pressure of that feeling was, until he was holding it back like this. "Don't worry about me, I'll control this urge. You just focus on getting us out of here. I'm relying on you Fuu, so if you need any help, just ask."

Once again he was met with no immediate response, just the sounds of the crowd around him. This state of being unable to see was driving him mad, if at the very least he could look at his own comrade, then that would be enough. But he could feel the give on the bandage lead slacken, and knew that Fuu had tensed up from the stress his words had probably put on her. "I'll… do my best." she said, her voice failing to match with her response.

Naruto could tell she was feeling less and less comfortable, and considered reaching out to take her arm, hoping he could relax her. But the two of them then stopped, and Naruto immediately forgot about such light things as that. Even though his sight was removed from him, he knew the same thing that Fuu did. Killer intent was leaking out all around them, like the snarls of predators lurking in the endless shadows. No guesses were required to tell what was happening; Konoha had found them faster than expected. What was more, they were being led straight into an ambush.

* * *

The street was crowded, filled with oblivious faces making their way to and from their personal destination. These dozens of people were even blinder than that old man, for they couldn't see that which was obvious to this person and his aid. Though _he_ remained as still as stone, head bowed and waiting, the green haired girl with him was looking around with a furrowed brow. Something wasn't right; something just outside her senses was edging into her consciousness like a meaningful whisper. It was the feeling, the knowledge, that they were being watched.

She couldn't tell where, but there was no denying the heavy aura all around her. Perhaps stopping to look had been a mistake, for as soon as she did it that feeling disappeared. But her training had taught her better than to ignore such things; she now knew it was too late to deny anything. Looking over her shoulder, she set her eyes on the old man behind her. "They already had your scent, didn't they?" she asked, realising that there was one factor she had failed to take into consideration.

She watched as the disguised Naruto turned his head slightly from right to left, picking up things that she still wasn't quite able to. The gesture confirmed the thoughts brewing in her mind; even though he was silent Naruto still managed to convey an energy that did more than words possibly could. "Get ready." he said, scratching at his bandages to hide his words. Fuu watched in wonder as to what Naruto was planning, but in doing so was barely ready to follow with his command. Just a moment after she had processed his words, she saw his hands come together in a pair of single seals, sitting on two different axes like a small cross. "Sorry but, I'm gonna have to do something pretty despicable… Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Chaos reigned in an instant as a massive cloud of smoke erupted from nothingness. Shadows flickered from all around as Shinobi broke from cover to counter this technique, but every single one of them came to a sudden stop as the haze lifted. Suddenly the street had become fuller than it was moments ago, and not a soul inside the masses was moving. In a crowd of what had been thirty civilians, the street was packed with even more as around twenty copies of Naruto appeared, unhenged and wielding kunai. Each of these glaring blonds stood with closed eyes, their targets already defined. Where there were twenty clones, twenty civilians stood with the blades held against their throats. Not a single soul moved.

In the centre of this dire situation, Fuu and the old man stood. In a flicker, the fake elderly disappeared and was replaced with the true face of the person who had in one moment taken almost and entire street hostage. Though still as sightless as ever, Naruto lifted his eyes around to the places he had sensed killer intent, looking around to where he was sure the Shinobi were located. "So who wants the death of all these people on their heads?" he asked, in a clear tone that was hoarsened by the slight grind to his voice. "I got the advantage, since I can't see the faces of these people. Can you pretend you can say the same?"

Fuu stepped around behind Naruto, standing with her back against his. It was a futile method of covering each other, since Naruto was already at a tactical disadvantage, but at least like this she could do _something_. All of the enemy nin were keeping vigilantly still, not wanting to cause the situation that Naruto was implying would happen. One of the Shinobi however straightened up, a Jounin with strong features, black spiky hair and a thick beard. He slipped the trench knives he had been wielding back into his belt, as a sign to keep the situation easy. But the other Shinobi remained as they were, not being quite so lenient.

"Hey, don't be so rash." he said, following his training of these situations to the letter. Naruto looked up to the person speaking; it seemed his hearing was back to full strength at the very least. He knew well that this Shinobi was going by the book, stalling for time probably. But considering certain things that Naruto knew of Konoha, he was well aware what would happen if he was lulled into a false sensei of security, or left his back open. "There's no need for something like this. The Hokage is taking care of your release forms as we speak."

Fuu looked over at the Shinobi speaking, wondering why he would say something that was so obviously a lie. The Hokage would have no reason to release Naruto, it wouldn't even be considered, right? "Ha, you trying to piss me off?" Naruto called out, making Fuu turn her attention straight towards him. As expected of the temperamental Uzumaki Naruto, he was so easily agitated that it didn't matter if he was thick skulled. Mind games were a tough thing to put on this person. "You think after all that shit I'm gonna leave on _your _terms? Get-"

Naruto froze in place, his entire body suddenly tensing up. Fuu was in much the same state, feeling as though each of her joints had suddenly become stuck in place. But this wasn't the work of some kind of physical failure, for all the Kage Bunshin seemed hindered by the same problem. In time to this, all of the Shinobi seemed to relax, one in particular rising to his feet. "That's checkmate, Naruto."

Naruto's ears pricked up in shock, any sudden exclamation he'd prepared had suddenly left him like a punch to the gut. Though he was unsure about why he was so suddenly paralysed, he had a feeling that it was due to the owner of that voice. "That you, Shikamaru?" he asked, in the voice of someone who had completely forgotten about his situation. He allowed himself a moment of nostalgia, thinking of the person who had once been a buddy of his, even if not a real friend. But in hearing that voice, he was hit with a realisation he hadn't thought of before. As quick as his drop in attitude had come, it left with a smirk of arrogance. "Guess I never figured I'd be pitted against you guys. Well, I'll save you from a troublesome situation, but I'll make it even with something embarrassing, ok?"

Just as all the Shinobi started to try and figure out what he meant by that, smoke burst from the Kage Bunshin once again. Rapidly moving in, the Konoha nin darted from their hiding places only to be met with a stampede of fleeing civilians; the ones who had been held hostage. Once again the cloud lifted, and despite the efforts of the Shinobi gathered around, both Naruto and Fuu had completely disappeared from sight.

* * *

The three young men, Gaara, Yagura and Utakata, flitted through the trees at great speed. Their clothes were sodden, but the fast movements and warm sun compensated for that in a way that would have to do for now. They had succeeded in slipping out of the second exam in time, and were now almost upon the place they had agreed to meet. A hill northwest to Konoha, still inside the barrier, but just barely so. By all calculations, that was the place they would wait for Fuu and if need be, go after her.

Yagura ran the farthest ahead, worrying once again about the person who had become his disciple in the past few months. Despite the vigorous training he had given her, he could never quite bring himself to completely rely on Fuu. Right now he almost wished the other two would move quicker, just so he could get an answer to the question plaguing his mind. _"Did they make it?"_

Utakata looked to his old friend, sensing the unease inside Yagura's gut. He didn't know whether to smile or not in this situation. Yagura wasn't the sort to worry about others, so he was glad in a way that Fuu's wellbeing seemed to mean something to his brother-in-name-only. But at the same time, he couldn't help sharing in that worry. This was a dangerous mission to give to someone who had no experience of working on her own, even if that was only the case up until a point.

The final member of the trio, and the one with least emotional input to this scenario, was the one who was giving it more thought than the other two combined. No one of the group, Yoinokuchi, had expected Naruto to get arrested by Konohagakure. Everyone had known the hyperactive idiot had gone on a training journey on his own, and hadn't any idea when he was getting back in the first place.

But then a month passed, and no word had come from Naruto. It was then that Gaara began to look into it, even going as far as to hiring another group by the name of Akatsuki to gain information. After another month, they had finally uncovered the truth, that Naruto had been taken by the village hidden in the leaves. This revelation had shaken Yoinokuchi to its very core. Konoha was the village that Naruto had lived in most his life, the place that had brought him so much misery. It was that misery that all of Yoinokuchi once knew, and had all been freed from by that very same person. There wasn't a member among them who didn't want to be here right now, to repay the debt no other deed could manage.

To Gaara however, that seemed as only a surface thing. When the others learned the truth about what happened to Naruto, all of them were shocked of course. But not long after that they had began joking about it, even to the point that troubled Gaara. If not for a few choice words from Yoinokuchi's caretaker Rei, Gaara had the sneaking doubt that the others wouldn't be so serious about this. Then again, that was his own paranoia.

Though they each had their own concerns of this mission, the three young men hurried their paces as the neared the location they were to await the final members. They moved deep into the woods, where the branches masked the daylight just enough to keep the glare aside. The agreed spot was just ahead, a fallen tree that hid with it certain possessions the team couldn't afford to carry with them. It wouldn't be long then, until-

"Yagura-kun!"

Yagura, Gaara and Utakata skidded to a sudden halt as the voice called out to them. Looking far up to their lefts, they saw two figures sitting on the bough of one of the larger trees. One of them was Fuu, who waved happily and swung her legs like a child as she greeted her mentor with the same enthusiasm she almost exhibited. And there, next to her, was a certain blond boy, who sat with a cup ramen in one hand and chopstick in the other. Grinning down at the three of them, the boy gave a cheeky wink that didn't quite fit with his blood streaked face. "Yo." said Uzumaki Naruto, lifting his chopsticks in a mock salute.


	6. Incandescence is humanity's birthright

Wow, this was a chapter that was gonna be 5000+ words no matter what I did. There was just no place to properly end things. Still, I didn't want to continue this arc onto another chapter at the same time, so I'm glad that it turned out this way. I've recieved some pretty positive feedback since this part started, and all of it seems to be about the things I wanted you to notice. That's always great for morale, and a good motivator. This chapter is proof of that I guess. Well, I'll let youread it, and you let me know what you think, ok?

Disclaimer: Before any of you ask me for a drawing of Yoinokuchi's new looks, I'll let you know that it's already in the works, but may take a while.

* * *

**Incandescence is humanity's birthright**

The three young men stared up at the pair sitting in the tree above, each looking in quiet disbelief. Fuu looked as cheery as ever, though her clothes were streaked with traces of dirt she looked otherwise unscathed. Naruto on the other hand, had traces of blood on his cheeks that came from his eyes. The bandages wrapped around his arms were stained with more of this, a fine indicator that all was not well. But Naruto paid this no heed, as he tossed the empty cup of ramen over his shoulder and slid off the bough to reunite with his comrades.

"Hey, Utakata!" he called, as he slapped the hand of the nearest boy with a grin on his face. Utakata met the gesture in time, smirking back at Naruto before the two of them looked each other up and down. Then they both let out a brief chuckle, before meeting each others' eyes and sharing the same remark. "Nice duds." both of them said, before Naruto moved on to the next guy.

Yagura was as expected a little reluctant to high five Naruto, so he did it with his attention turned elsewhere. But to his surprise, Naruto didn't slap his hand, but grabbed his wrist instead. "Hey, looks like you've been beefing up." Naruto remarked, as he looked at the grown muscles on Yagura's forearms with a clear expression of interest. "Wanna see who's stronger?"

Though Yagura scoffed at the suggestion, Naruto's hyperactivity had already forced him to move on. Heading for the last person, he readily raised his hand despite knowing he would probably only be met with a blank look. "Long time no see, eh Gaara?" he asked, before blinking in surprise as he saw Gaara's hand raise alongside his own. But to his further shock, it was not a high five that Gaara was intending. Instead, his hand quickly moved past Naruto's, gripping the blond boy's forehead tight.

"What happened to your eyes?" Gaara demanded, wasting no time on frivolous greetings. He scanned Naruto's face thoroughly, taking in the sharp teeth and spike markings as fine, but the eyes particularly as troubling. Naruto looked back at him, allowing the search, since he himself knew very little of his own condition. When Gaara moved in for an even closer look, he got the feeling there was more than what met the eyes, so to speak. "They're green."

Confused by the peculiar diagnosis, Naruto frowned at Gaara curiously. The others, who were also intrigued by this announcement, moved behind the red haired boy to see for themselves. "Well what do you know?" Utakata remarked, slipping his arms into his sleeves as he looked at Naruto with a raised brow. "As green as grass I'd say."

Bewildered though he was, even Naruto's surprise was surpassed by Fuu's. The girl stepped around Gaara to look deep into Naruto's eyes, frowning as she placed her hands on either side of the beast like boy's face. "That's weird, it wasn't like that before!" she said, looking over her shoulder earnestly, as if thinking the others wouldn't believe her. "When I caught up with him, his eyes were bleeding, but they were blue, like always."

In an instant the three boys were now looking at Fuu, all of them frowning at the strange thing she had just said. Yagura was the one who took initiative, stepping between his student and Gaara to look her straight into the eye. "Wait a minute, what was that?" he asked, looking from Fuu to Naruto with clear uncertainty. "What do you mean "when you caught up to him"?"

Fuu was clearly uncomfortable at how close Yagura was, combined with the sudden grilling she was receiving resulted in her becoming quite flustered to the point where she stammered. "W-well I- I mean-" she began, stopping and starting often enough to prove that she wasn't sure what she was talking about herself. "I did everything you told me to, but by the time I got there he had already broken out!"

Once more attentions turned as everyone looked at Naruto, obviously seeking an explanation of some sort. But Naruto gave them a blank look in reply, as if he wasn't aware he was even being asked anything. However when he looked over his shoulder to the place he had come from, and that thoughtful look appeared on his face, they knew he was deciding on what to tell them. "Well…" he began, his brow furrowing and his hand reaching behind his head to scratch at it. "… How _did_ I get out of there?"

His words put everyone over the edge, Fuu's jaw dropping while Gaara's eyes locked with Naruto's. Even Utakata was distracted into an incredulous sweat, leaving Yagura to be the one to bring reality back to the group. "We can get the details later." he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to the direction the three of them had been moving just a couple of minutes ago. "Konoha won't take long to connect the dots. We should leave while they're still confused."

Three out of the remaining four nodded at Yagura, leaving only Fuu who still looked quite stupefied. Naruto was glad that they would be moving again; he wanted to leave this village more than anything right now. So with that the group began moving on, soon they were running once again. As they flitted through the trees, the only one amongst them who wasn't paying the situation much attention was Naruto. His mind was flying in all sorts of directions, distractions coming his way no matter how he tried to resist.

For one thing, there was another issue with his eyes that he had failed to announce to the others. Though his healing ability had taken care of the worst of the hypersensitivity, there were some parts that didn't seem to be improving. One of those things was the blur to his vision. Looking at the others was an incredibly unpleasant thing for him, he couldn't quite focus on his comrades for some reason. Their forms were distorting, like they were standing in a steam bath or something. It stopped for a moment if he blinked and looked away, the scenery was as sharp as ever. But look again, and he was treated with the same issue.

The other problem was that his recollection of his escape was even foggier than his vision right now. Why couldn't he remember how he'd broken free? Or rather, why was it that his memories told him the straps that had bound his arms were by some turn of fortune undone? He knew well that Konoha wouldn't make an error like that, so could it be that someone had helped him without his knowing it? _"There was… _something_."_ he thought, as his fingers gradually lifted to his lips. Was it the ramen that had given them that slightly sticky feeling? That didn't make sense, but then what? _"What the hell happened back there?"_

Before he could come up with answers however, he found the others ahead of him were coming to a stop. They had travelled a few hundred yards, but then stopped in a place which at first glance was unremarkable. But as Naruto joined Gaara at the front, he realised they were not very far from the wall surrounding Konohagakure. And what was more, he could clearly hear the sounds of a river passing on by. With a raise of his brow, the plan became clear. They were going to sneak through the waterway to make their escape. However, Naruto had visited this place often in that past. From what he knew, there were thick steel bars underneath the water, not to mention the Shinobi keeping watch there. He thought to tell this to the others, but they were already gathering around to discuss the plan.

With everyone huddled in a tight circle, Gaara looked between his comrades to ensure he had their rapt attention. Once he was certain of this, he cast his hand over the ground before them. As ordered the sand drifted from his gourd and sculpted a small scale model of the outpost they were drawing close to. The steel bridge and stone building were all to correct proportions, even the aqueduct was correct and in place. A perfect three dimensional rendition. "Utakata will take out the guards, while I cover his back." Gaara said, adding models of the two outcast ninja and even a couple of guards. "Fuu will melt the bars while Yagura prepares to create an opening in the barrier. The flow of the river will be working against you, as will your oxygen intake. So Naruto, you have to hold them in place. Can you do that?"

Naruto, though disappointed he wouldn't be seeing any action, gave a nod in reply. With all measures accounted for, the group rose back to their feet and turned to the place they were headed. When the waterway came into view, they split off into two groups headed in slightly different directions. Utakata and Gaara moved slightly faster, heading to the outpost where the guards awaited any signs of trouble. Naruto looked after them; he recalled Utakata once saying that he wasn't the sort who was skilled at taking the enemy in a head on attack, so naturally he was curious about what the cheery nin planned on doing here.

Yagura however had other plans. Grabbing Naruto and Fuu by the shoulder, he pushed them both closer towards the river. Naruto reluctantly took the hint while Fuu didn't need much persuasion to start with. Once they were by the deep stream, the three of them primed themselves for the task ahead, before diving into the water with a running start.

That marked the beginning of the operation, by alerting the guards with the sounds of splashes. In an instant a team of Shinobi came barrelling out from the outpost, darting off in every direction as they sought out the intruders. The five ninja were surprised to see that one of the invaders was standing before them, without making the slightest inclination to hide or attack. This was obviously just a distraction for what this trespasser's comrades were doing, but nonetheless he was the easiest threat to take care of. Two of the Shinobi decided to take him on, while the others headed to investigate that person's comrades.

Utakata stood with a bowed head, his eyes hidden behind black shadows. Slowly his left hand drifted to his right sleeve, dragging the material back from his arm. There, the enemy Shinobi spotted an odd glint as three crimson blades were revealed from its hiding place inside the young man's kimono. Raising these blades as he pushed his sleeve further back, he revealed an odd, cat claw like weapon consisting of the three blades protruding from a white contraption bearing a black reel on the back of his hand. Without giving the enemy any more time to take in this weapon, Utakata whipped around and made his move.

Underneath the flowing water, many Kage Bunshin stood at the bottom with their chakra clutching the ground. These copies of Naruto were pressing against Fuu and Yagura's back, allowing them to set to the task they had been given. The thick iron bars gave way as Fuu dissolved the metal, discarding the useless rods once they were out of the way. Next to her, Yagura had his hands flying through seals, his eyes closed tight as he focused his chakra. When Fuu had finally finished her task, he moved into the created opening and pushed his hands out. Then the three of them were treated to an unusual sight, as ripples generated from his palms.

Without waiting for any further signal, Fuu darted past Yagura and through the hole he had created, her oxygen capacity reaching its limit. Not even a few seconds later, the water erupted as Gaara and a bloodstained Utakata followed suit. Then with Naruto making his way through, Yagura grabbed onto the bars and propelled himself through the rapidly closing hole. Their escape had been a success; they had left Konohagakure.

* * *

Beneath the great Hokage monument, there lay a large, round building as red as the evening sky. That building bore the large kanji for fire, and an open roof that often held classes of students being taught the history of the village. This place was considered one of the most important buildings in Konoha, for many reasons. It was used by the academy for ninjas in training, a place where important political meetings were held, but foremost, it was the place where the Hokage's office was located.

Inside that office lay a room filled to the brim with papers, files and boxes containing more of the same. This mess seemed to be centred around a large desk placed just in front of the windows that showed nearly the entire village. On this desk, there was a clearing just wide enough for individual forms to be taken care of. Here the Hokage of the village was working away, stress clearly getting to her.

"Damn it, where's Sakura?" she demanded, without lifting her head to look away from the papers she was signing. Her blond hair was strewn from fretting, the ties keeping her twin ponytails in place were loosening as if exhaustion was getting to them too. Her forehead was wrinkled from the frown she had been wearing for a while now, the small purple diamond in the middle creasing almost into a triangle. Brown eyes darted across the writing on the forms and reports that she signed, stamped and pushed away, frantically trying to get her workload under control. "She was the last one with him!"

She spoke to the two people present in the room with her, one was her full time attendant and the other a part time advisor. The attendant, a middle aged woman with a dark kimono and short, feathered black hair looked at the Hokage with dark, worried eyes. Things seldom turned out well when her lady was in a bad mood like this. "I'm sure she's on her way over right now, Tsunade-sama!" she said in a reassuring tone. It was rare for the Hokage to be working so hard, so she spoke carefully to ensure nothing slackened the pace. "Sakura-chan was held up when the guards caught Uzumaki Naruto's scent on her."

A little further away, sitting on a sofa with his arms resting across the back and his legs crossed, the part time advisor shuffled uncomfortably. Tsunade didn't let this go unnoticed, and shot her glare to her old team mate with full intent behind them. "I thought you said he was willing to cooperate!" she exclaimed, in an accusing tone. Her attendant let out a discontented sigh as the Hokage suddenly stopped what she was doing to verbally assault the man across from her. "Now I've got an entire jailbreak to take care of!"

Jiraiya kept his eyes away from Tsunade, reluctant to admit the costly mistake he had made. No matter how you looked at it, it was most likely his actions that led to this jailbreak, therefore leaving him the person responsible for Tsunade's stress. And unfortunately for him, the foul tempered woman was fully aware of this. "I knew he wouldn't be whole hearted about the agreement, but I didn't expect him to go _this_ far." he said, vainly trying to calm the infuriated Hokage down. "You saw how he was when he found out he was in Konoha, it took the two of us to keep him from losing control to the Kyuubi. We couldn't leave him there to foster _more_ hatred for Konoha."

"For all the good it's done!" Tsunade hotly replied, though she planted her chin onto her palm in a relenting manner. This was a dire situation; if the other villages found out that prisoners had broken free, something which would be very easy considering the certain event that was going on right now, then Konoha's reputation would crumble to say the least. It was as if a god of misfortune was hovering over their heads. And considering Tsunade's luck in general, that wasn't entirely unlikely. "To think the son of the Yondaime is the person responsible for tipping the balance of power from not only Konoha, but Suna and Taki as well. Then there's the rumours about Iwa and Kiri to boot. This kid is going to start the next war."

"Well lets hope it doesn't come to that." Jiraiya replied, rising to his feet and stepping towards the open window. He looked out into the village, turning his attention first to the prison, and then to the place where Naruto was later found with an accomplice. He couldn't really believe it himself, he had spoken to that idiot on many occasions, only to come to the result that he wasn't the sort capable of organising anything. Yet he had successfully convinced five of the nine Jinchuriki to abandon their villages and join his cause. _"But what _is_ that cause?"_

Then there was that other group, the one known as "Akatsuki". It had been his understanding that Uzumaki Naruto had been closely affiliated with that group for years now, yet all of a sudden the connection between him and that band of criminals had all but disappeared. Did that mean he had fled, or was it simply that he no longer had relations to the Akatsuki anymore? "I think the best course of action would be to send someone to infiltrate his little band of renegades." he said, looking over his shoulder to Tsunade with a crease in his brow. "We need an informant in there to-"

"Don't you start that as well!" Tsunade barked, suddenly pinching her temples in annoyance. Both Jiraiya and Tsunade's attendant looked at her in surprise, taken aback at her shooting down a plan that had no visible problems to it. The attendant, Shizune, however soon realised what her lady was talking about, judging by the despondent look in her eyes. "Danzou has been trying to find a way to sneak one of his operatives in for a while now. I've had to keep him on a short leash, which isn't easy considering his connections."

This came as no surprise to Jiraiya, who turned on the spot and leant against the wall with folded arms. Long ago, after Naruto first left Konoha, Danzou had placed a bounty on the boy's head to have him captured alive. He had succeeded for the most part, and had contained Naruto inside Konoha for a brief while. Though he had made the excuse that he was conducting his own interrogation into Naruto's actions, there were few who really believed that to be the case. "Then we'll send someone we can trust." he replied, as if that was the easiest thing in the world. "Naruto is gone, and he won't trust anyone from Konoha. It needs to be someone he can relate to, or at least can sympathise with him enough to gain his favour."

Tsunade grumbled to herself, personally thinking that she would rather just send a few teams in to eradicate the problem. But they were short on man power as it was, so she had to admit Jiraiya's idea was the most available even if nothing else. "You got someone on your mind?" she asked, looking at her old team mate through tired eyes. "Cos from what I know, the only people like that have already abandoned the village. That's usually the way it goes, isn't that-"

Before she could finish however, there was an abrupt knock at the door to the office. Tsunade lifted herself from her lazy stature and called out for the visitor to enter, frowning when Kamizuki Izumo stepped in with an alarmed look on his face and papers in his hand. "Hokage-sama, these were left lying by the door!" he said, as he hastily entered the room and made his way over to the desk. He placed the files down before Tsunade, who quickly picked them up to study them.

From either side of her, Shizune and Jiraiya moved in for a closer look. While Jiraiya's expression remained fairly blank, Shizune's slowly grew to match Tsunade's frenetic look. Taking a step closer, her eyes flew over the papers with growing haste. "Aren't these…" she began, before looking uncertainly to Tsunade. Her lady was gripping the papers tight, before suddenly releasing them and rising to her feet.

"WHERE'S SAKURA?"

* * *

Several miles outside of Konoha, the four rogue ninja had slowed down to a walking pace. No dog could track their scent after swimming away, and they had stopped dripping a while ago. It would take a special kind of someone to track them down now, but all of them knew better than to overdo it with their relaxing. Konoha had proven they weren't above dirty methods, Naruto and the others now full understood this.

"So where we going?" Naruto asked, looking around him for anyone who would answer. Even though the place they called home was about a day's journey east, they weren't going in that direction. After escaping from that village, they had made a sharp turn north and continued going that way since. But the only thing up there that Naruto knew of was a valley that had been the place where he had been tasked by his sensei to defeat a person called Hyuuga Neji. "Sort of a wide detour don't you think?"

Gaara turned his eyes to the left, meeting Naruto's questioning gaze with his own meaningful stare. "A lot has happened since you left." he explained, causing Naruto's look of curiosity to dwindle into pure concentration. Glances to the other members of Yoinokuchi told him that things had been pretty harsh while he was away. "Iwa tracked Han down and found our base, meaning we had to vacate premises. We're going to a bandit camp we cleared out up north. That will be our base of operations for now."

"It's a nice place, well hooked up for the winter." Utakata commented, with the crooked smile of someone who was purposefully making light of the situation. He slipped his hands behind his head, and revealed both his blood stained sleeve and the tip of the claws protruding from his kimono. This was the first time Naruto had seen those odd red blades, so naturally his eyes were drawn towards them. "It's kinda big though, and there's the odd beast that comes running through."

Naruto smirked at that nonchalant comment, eying Fuu who walked just to his left. He already had the feeling that girl wouldn't like such living conditions, and the despondent air she had on proved it. But suddenly Utakata's words rang through his ears again, and he was hit with a sudden feeling that shocked him with its lateness. "Wait a minute, where's my dogs?" he demanded, looking around them as if expecting to see their familiar, giant forms close by. Turning on the spot, he cupped his hands to his mouth and called out at the top of his voice. "Daisuke! Koyane! Hotei-"

"Quit it!" Fuu ordered, pulling Naruto's arm away from his mouth. The blond boy looked back at her in surprise, but when her form distorted he quickly dropped his gaze to shake his head. Fuu and the others noticed this sudden irregularity and looked questioningly at him, silently asking for answers. But instead of receiving any, Naruto's head whipped behind him. As his nose flared up with a deep inhale, everyone else turned their attention that way as well. Fuu looked worriedly, wondering what it could be that Naruto just picked up. "Are we being followed?"

None of the others could detect anything, but none of them had Naruto's sense of smell. After a few moments however, Yagura too perked up. His Kage level abilities allowed him to sense the approaching chakra, making his the second best at detection without preparation. "Hey, can you guys go on ahead?" Naruto asked, resulting in shocked looks from all of his comrades. He turned away from them to the place they had come from, a scary grin slipping onto his face. "I'm about to do some recruiting."

Almost as soon as he said that, he felt the urge to let out a cynical sigh. He could feel the stair of four pairs of eyes burning into the back of his head, corroding his skull away in their determined search for answers. It was obvious that no simple explanation would sate their thirst for knowledge, so he offered the best he could by giving an apologetic grin over his shoulder. It was not received well.

Just when Gaara was about to try and talk him out of it however, Utakata stepped forward and took on the attention that had been sent Naruto's way. "I'll watch his back while the rest of you go on." he said, letting his hands slip from behind his head and back to either side of him. He looked at Naruto with half closed eyes and a thin smile, showing neither curiosity nor any other ambiguous look as he met his comrade's gaze. "If he wants to talk to them, it's better if there are as few of us as possible."

Naruto and Fuu continued to stare at Utakata with mystified looks, while Gaara and Yagura exchanged their own. After a moment's deliberation, the red haired boy nodded and gave the signal for them to move on. "Don't be long." he ordered, as he, Yagura and Fuu turned and jumped up to the tree branches. Just a few seconds later, Naruto and Utakata were completely on their own. The two of them watched after their departing comrades, before turning on the spot to prepare to greet the coming storm.

Naruto blinked in surprise as he felt Utakata clap his back. The dark haired Shinobi was smiling down at Naruto, his lips parting into a friendly grin. "I think the last time you and I fought together was back in Orochimaru's base, wasn't it?" he asked, with a slight chuckle that he would definitely not have used back at that time. Letting Naruto take the lead, he moved several metres behind the boy, before slipping his hands into his sleeves. "Whatever you do, don't look at me ok? It'll be easier to explain later."

Confused by the former hunter nin's cryptic command, Naruto almost forget about the enemy drastically closing in. It was the scent carried on the wind that reminded him, and turned his eyes back towards Konoha. Forgetting about Utakata for now, he allowed a grin to slip across his lips and his fists to clench and unclench. He really wasn't sure just how this was going to go down, and in a funny way part of him wanted things to go bad. But in the long run, that wouldn't help at all. So he steeled himself, tensing his shoulders and keeping his eyes out for the slightest movement.

All was silent. The wind carried among the leaves in a restrained whisper, faint signs of sunlight peeking through to watch the place with the rising tension. In the midst of the trees, Naruto let out a small breath. Then, in an instant, he disappeared into thin air. This move was well timed, as not even a second later a red blur descended from above, delivering an axe kick that shattered the ground as if struck by a meteorite.

From the small crater of dust and debris, a girl in a sleeveless red shirt, black shorts and a pink skirt rose up. As quickly as she had descended, she darted away again to evade a possible counterattack. She skid across the ground with her black glove clad hands touching the earth for support, and her thigh high boots digging into the dirt. Looking around suspiciously, her eyes darted to the still standing Utakata. But all that person did, strangely enough, was smile and wave at her.

Suddenly the girl whipped around, using her position to perform a high kick that would tear off the heads of most people without losing any speed. However, Naruto clearly wasn't most people. In an instant he had appeared behind her, grabbing her leg in his hand and stopping her attack in its tracks. "Still trying to kill me, Sakura-chan?" he asked, leering down at the girl with a monstrous grin.

Sakura gave her reply by pulling her leg free from his grip, which she failed to realise had slackened to let her get away. She then rapidly rolled out of the way, before immediately assuming a standing position to face Naruto again. But she was forced to cry out in shock as Naruto's arms suddenly darted out from behind her, scooping below her own and locking them above her head. "Too slow Sakura-chan." Naruto whispered in her ear. Both of his hands were placed on the back of his head, and the girl could clearly feel the vibration of chakra in his palms. He knew that she knew she was in a dire state, that trying to escape would definitely kill her. But that didn't stop her from resisting. "Hey Utakata, there's another one out there, think you can-"

"Already taken care of man."

Both Naruto and Sakura cast their eyes behind them, looking at Utakata in quiet shock. The ex Kiri-nin stood with blood pouring from his gut, yet from the look on his face this wasn't even an inconvenience. What seemed to be the real focus of his attention was the thick black wires stretched taught from his wrist. Those wires dug into a nearby bush, which after a sharp pull retracted the three red blades of his weapon. Both Naruto and Sakura's eyes widened in shock as something else red dripped from the blades, before Sakura let out a cry. "Hinata!"

Naruto began to scold Utakata for his sudden aggression, since he hadn't been intending for anyone to die right away. But when the older nin drew his blades in, and licked the blood on the tip of one of the claws, Naruto's speech was taken from him. "Target captured." the kimono clad man said, before something shocking happened, that silenced even Sakura's cries of shock. Utakata's skin began darkening in some places, and paling in others. As he clasped his hands together and lowered his stance, he revealed this condition to be occurring all over his skinny body. Just a few seconds later, he looked like some sort of tribal shaman painted in the style of a skeleton. "Jujutsu: Charm of the Kyuuketsuki."

With a swish of his hand, Utakata gestured towards the bush afar. Almost instantly, the leaves began to stir as something rose from its midst. Another girl, with long black hair and pale pupiless eyes bearing pronounced veins at her temples stepped out, her expression one of pain and resistance. Yet despite her apparent anger, she hesitantly stepped towards Utakata, clutching the bleeding sleeve of her lavender jacket. Once more Sakura called the girl's name, but Hinata was too entranced to reply.

As she slowly moved closer to Utakata, her steps became less reluctant, and she even released her cut arm in favour of a light swish as she approached her smirking summoner. Though her expression was of clear resentment, she stepped into the embrace of Utakata, even going so far as to place her hands and face against his chest. "Sakura-chan… I can't move!" she gasped, speaking through gritted teeth.

Naruto and Utakata shared a look with each other, one showing shock while the other couldn't seem more relaxed if he tried. The latter's expression invoked a smirk from the former, and the two of them made the same simultaneous move. Placing their hands on the girls' heads, they both sharply twisted their arms to the side. Sakura and Hinata both cried out in shock, but almost immediately were forced into a state of unconsciousness. Then, without so much as another word, the two boys slung the girls over their shoulders and began to follow after the rest of the group.


	7. The power to see all that there is

Wow, I can't remember the last time I wrote a chapter without a single scene break. And with that, you can tell that a lot happens here. Yes, this is a chapter with nearly 5500 words to it, despite not being late at all. At this rate, I may consider raising my minimum. Heh, when have I said THAT before? Anyway, I couldn't seem to stop writing this one, as you could probably tell, and a lot of the stuff are ideas thought up only recently. All the same, I think you'll all find it interesting to say the very least.

Disclaimer: Well, that fight of Minato's is getting pretty awesome. Masashi can be forgiven for not giving us that double chapter, since instead he's giving us a fight most of us probably never expected to see, am I right?

* * *

**The power to see all that there is**

The brown leaves blanketed the ground of this hilly place, filling the scene with a warm singe met with a cool wind. The many smooth knolls rolled over in ever direction, leading no place to be in view at the horizon. This area really was a rather secluded place, but not at all devoid of human life. In fact, at the settling point between all these hills lay a small village acting as a resting point for travellers of all sorts. Most likely this place had started off as an inn or a resort, but then steadily grew into what it was now. It wasn't a rich place, but the people going about their daily chores were far from impoverished. It truly was a peaceful little society, the kind of place a lot of people could settle down in.

On one of the mounds not far from this little village, Naruto sat in a barren tree, watching the villagers from afar. His hand covered his eyes for now, preparing himself for what he was about to do. The irritation he had felt before was gone completely by now, but according to Fuu the _other_ symptom was more even more prominent than it had been before. But that wasn't the only thing that had grown since then. It was that very thing that Naruto was investigating right now. And so, steeling himself for just a few seconds more, he lowered his hand from his eyes, revealing a pair of lime green irises that almost seemed to reflect the light of the sun.

All of the trees, all of the hills, and all of the buildings below were crystalline clear, bearing not the slightest fault to mention. The brightness of the sun helped augment this fact; like that intensity was purifying the air. But that wasn't the point of focus. What Naruto was staring at instead were the villagers. In spite of everything else, there was some sort of interference that disallowed him from seeing them quite as perfectly as he did with everything else. It was like he could see the heat lifting from their body, a sort of rising energy that held no corporeal form. However, where before it made his eyes water to look at other people, he found it a lot more bearable to look now.

"_What is this?"_ he asked himself, as he studied the people below. He couldn't help noticing that the aura those people released differed depending on the individual. The haze like sense he got seemed weaker when he looked at children, or grownups that weren't doing much of anything. But for those of them who were working hard, carrying heavy loads and such, it was more noticeable.

However those hard working people seemed to share a quality that the children had themselves. That quality had more weight to it as he looked at a pair of old people relaxing in the sun. Where the haze was lacking on their bodies, their heads seemed to almost radiate a different kind of aura altogether. He couldn't quite put a name to what this sensation was, but it was making things very troublesome for him indeed.

"Hey, Naruto." called a voice from behind the focused boy. Looking back in surprise, Naruto noticed the source of one of those troubles. Yagura stood on the ground behind him, exuding massive amounts of the two auras he had noticed in the normal people. But what was more, he could see a third, pulsing aura generating from the former Mizukage's stomach. It was people like him, and the other Jinchuriki, that Naruto still had trouble looking at. "They're waking up. Since they're your responsibility, you should be the one to explain the situation to them. And maybe you could fill us in too, _if you have the time_."

Unable to resist a small smirk, Naruto slid off the branch and landed neatly on the ground. There he picked up the Ekokaeten, which had been placed aside earlier. With his weapon in place on his back, he stepped past Yagura and clapped his hand on the shorter Shinobi's shoulder, giving a peacemaking grin for the sake of the situation. "You think I got something to hide?" he said, as the two of them began to make their way towards the others. "You ask, I'll answer."

Yagura looked at the back of Naruto's head, making sure to keep half a step behind the enigmatic boy. Despite his open opinion, he reserved himself from speaking until the time was right. As a result, the two of them traversed two hills silently, before finding their way to a small mound of rocks that was acting as their current camp. There, Utakata was working over a boiling pot on top of a small fire, while Fuu watched him on a nearby log. Gaara looked over to the arriving pair from atop the largest boulder, drawing his eyes away from the sky to greet his fellow members.

Down below however, was the true point of interest. In amidst a gathering of the rocks, Haruno Sakura and presumably Hyuuga Hinata glared at the people around them, Naruto in particular. Though the blond boy had a pretty good idea why he was receiving such resentment, he gave them a smile and a look that suggested he had no clue why they were so upset with him. The two girls were bound, gagged and furious, so there was no mistaking the situation. "Keep frowning like that and you'll give yourselves wrinkles." he said, as he found a comfortable place in front of his guests. Slipping Eko off his back and digging the blade into the ground at an angle, he sat back against the sword in a relaxed position. Then looking at Fuu and Yagura, he gestured to Sakura and Hinata in a manner that suggested his allies were being impolite. "Can we get these things off them please?"

The sensei and student's reluctance to follow Naruto's orders was overcome only by their curiosity at just what that person intended to do in this situation. For that reason, they stepped around Sakura and Hinata to cut their ties, before leaving the girls to remove their gags and rub their aching wrists. Once everyone was settled back into place, Naruto clasped his hands behind his head and grinned at the girls, an expression that was definitely not returned. "Didn't want you getting jumpy or anything, hope you don't mind." he said, chuckling dryly at the dirty looks he was given. "I'm all for hostilities, so I'm kinda hoping you _do _act up. God knows I could use the exercise, eh Sakura-chan?"

He was distracted from his little game however, when Gaara hopped down from the boulder. The two students of Hoshigake Kisame met each others' gazes, and in an instant conveyed something that no one else could understand. "Explain to us why you took these two." he commanded, not in a superior manner, but in the manner of someone who needed to get to the point _now._ "If this is merely a whim of yours, I'll kill them now and have it be done with."

Naruto raised his hand with a bemused smile, settling down his ever serious friend. Though this was the first time Gaara had ever issued such a threat, this was also the first time Naruto had ever done something like this. Having a little concern then, was more than understandable. "I got more than one reason Gaara, don't worry about it." he said, giving Gaara a look that the red haired boy had never seen on his fellow student's face before. It was the look of someone who understood the situation, and by no means acted arrogant about it. Though he was taken aback for a moment, Gaara decided to accept this as Naruto turned his eyes back to the girls. "First of all, Sakura-chan over here is a medic-nin, and one who isn't entirely loyal to Konoha."

Behind Naruto, Yagura looked up. He had taken seat beside Fuu, waiting with closed eyes and folded arms for Naruto to get this situation over with and for the time when he could ask his own questions to come. Now however, he felt the desire to find out more about what was going on here. "If you were locked up in a prison, and yet know something about that, it's safe to assume this girl and you have a relationship of sorts?" he asked, looking over the angered look on Sakura's face suspiciously.

"I suppose you could say that." Naruto responded, sitting up and slipping his arms over his knees. His green eyes met with Sakura's, and almost immediately the pink haired girl looked away. But what Naruto was interested in was not the reaction of his former nurse, but the auras emanating from her. She and Hinata both had high levels of the haze aura from their bodies, higher levels of the radiating aura from their heads, yet no pulsing aura from their gut. This struck Naruto as curious, since they were the only ones amongst everyone else here, including himself, to lack this third, powerful aura. On the other hand, there was one thing emanating from her that was very well pronounced; killing intent. "She's tried to kill me a couple of times."

From that moment, Naruto then learned something very important. Sakura's team mate, Hinata, delivered to her fellow kunoichi a look of shock that could only belong to someone who was unaware of this little titbit of information. Rising to his feet, Naruto looked among the other stunned faces, knowing just what they were thinking as a result to this. "The reason for this, is that she thinks I wanna kill Uchiha Sasuke." he continued, flashing a smirk to Gaara that was met with meaningful eyes.

"Don't screw with me!" Sakura exclaimed, speaking up for the first time. Naruto returned her attention to her, but gave her only a smile that drove her wild with anger. Only her team mate kept her from doing something stupid, a fact that disappointed Naruto slightly, as his chakra faded away from his hands. "Don't try and take back what you said, you were trying to-"

Suddenly Sakura stopped, her eyes widening and her lips moving silently. Her reaction made it impossible for Naruto to keep his grin away, it was much better than he had imagined it would turn out. Feeling high over getting the reaction he wanted, he turned on the spot to sweep his eyes to all his comrades and his two prisoners, all the while his grin expanding to a dragon's lust. "A girl in love with an enemy to her village, where does her loyalty lie?" he said, with an overdramatic swish of his hand. "Press the right button, and what do you know? The second you screwed with the drugs you betrayed your village and lost any right to stand by it! Konoha is down one back stabber, and Yoinokuchi has a medic!"

Standing up for her downcast friend, Hinata moved in front of Sakura with a heated look unaffected by the bestial grin Naruto bestowed upon her in return. "Konoha won't abandon us!" she said, her soft voice coming out particularly sharp in this exclamation. Sakura looked up at her, seeing truth in what her team mate said, but not adding anything to it. Naruto on the other hand, let out a laugh that forced him to hug his sides, hindering the confidence that the dark haired girl had tried to build.

But instead of him being the one to offer explanation, it was Utakata who spoke up, leaning back from the fire with as peaceful a look as ever on his face. "Tell your Hokage I'm borrowing a couple of your ninja." he said, meeting Naruto's cocked brow with a cool smirk. "If you don't like it, take it to that frog geezer. That's what you wrote on the note right? Sorry, I couldn't resist taking a look for myself."

Naruto stared a little at the most interesting person amongst his comrades for a moment, before shrugging lightly and returning his attention to the two girls in front of him. It seemed now that that was revealed, he could get one point out of the way that he was sure he was going to be interrogated about in the end. "Your Jiraiya of the Sannin is the person who brought me back to Konoha." he announced, with an almost flamboyant air about him. "Then, just a few days ago, he starts offering to make peace between our group and Konoha. Well I'll consider this payment then; I won't go in there and slaughter every bastard I can find, but in return I want something from _both_ of you."

Everyone stared at Naruto with aghast expressions, not a single one of them left unsurprised by the things he said. To the two girls he held captive, they didn't want to believe they were being made as bargaining tokens for the sake of their village. But Yoinokuchi's shock ran deeper. For Naruto to make a decision like this, one that wasn't entirely based on emotional desire, was beyond what any of them had expected. He was actually making long term decisions, a point most of them had questioned his capability of on numerous occasions. One thing had become apparent to his allies; whatever change Naruto had gone through in his time away, it was massive. It was almost like he had another person in his mind, guiding him in place of the common sense he never had.

"Why should we give _you_ anything?" Sakura demanded, glowering at Naruto over Hinata's shoulder. For a pair of girls who had so easily been defeated, they were certainly outspoken. Naruto didn't really mind that quality however; it would have been boring if they just took orders like helpless drones. "We don't owe you anything, we've got no reason to help you at all!"

Naruto stopped mid pace, looking at Sakura in astonishment. After watching her for a moment, he turned his eyes away to the distance with an expression of pure thoughtfulness. "Yeah, I guess you don't owe me anything." he admitted, before letting out a small chuckle of embarrassment. Then he turned his attention back to the girls, and filled them with a sense of fear brought on by his shining red irises and slit like pupils. The Naruto now was completely unsmiling, the killer intent radiating from his body so vile it brought a bitter taste to everyone's mouth. "On the other hand, I owe you a lot, _in case you forgot_."

The two girls quickly got to their feet, seeing the course of what was going to happen very quickly. As Naruto took a step towards the two of them, he gestured towards the others to back off. Sakura and Hinata were at the moment nothing but hindrance, so the rest of the group had little trouble, even if Fuu was reluctant. The two Konoha kunoichi readied themselves to dodge the oncoming attack, seeing an opportunity to escape present itself in Naruto's enraged eyes.

_Ba-bump!_

Naruto stopped mid step, his eyes widening and his mouth gaping. Everyone around him tensed as he suddenly grabbed his chest, the air leaving his lungs in a silent groan. Before Sakura and Hinata could take advantage of this opportunity, they were struck with a pair of sedative darts courtesy of Fuu and her blow pipe. The drug hit their necks and went instantly to work, knocking the two girls out while everyone else rushed to Naruto's aid. "What's wrong?" Yagura demanded, placing his hand on Naruto's back and trying to look into the blond boy's eyes.

_BA-BUMP!_

Naruto choked in pain, suddenly falling to his knees as the veins in his eyes began to grow defined. Trails of saliva dripped from his teeth, and his hands flew to the sides of his head, trying desperately to dull the pounding going on inside his skull. He was unable to make any eligible sound, and unable to take any in as well. All they could do was hit the dirt, and try desperately to dig his head into the earth in some vain hope of numbing this agony.

_BA-_

He blinked, the sudden absence of suffering causing a ringing in his ears like a wasp was buzzing around. Slipping his hands onto the ground, he began to push himself up, finding this task surprisingly easy. Had he just experienced a spasm of some kind? With everyone gathered around him, he looked up to see if what he had felt had looked as bad as that. Looking at his allies however, made him blink again in shock. He didn't need their looks to tell him what he had realised; his eyes had just made their most rapid change yet.

Gaara, Yagura, Utakata and Fuu looked back at him, each one showing more concern than the last. What stunned Naruto however was that he was able to see them in perfect detail, no longer hindered by the ailments of the auras. But surprisingly enough, the auras were still present. Each of the four of them released the same energies, though at different levels, but those very energies had toned down to the point that they lay just behind his immediate perception.

What was more, they were nowhere near as unstable as they had previously been. The first aura rose like a thin vapour from their bodies, the second drifting away from their heads like wind on the grass. And the third was just a light emanation, spiralling lazily from their stomachs with none of the volatility it had previously possessed. But there was something else, something about it that struck Naruto as the most peculiar. He _understood_ these auras, even if he couldn't explain it to himself.

Suddenly realising that the others were talking to him, Naruto shook his head vigorously and brought himself back to reality. Utakata helped him to his feet as he rose up, holding his head and trying to refocus himself. "Uh… I'm fine." he said, before glancing at his allies once again. He already knew the look he would be receiving, and most certainly wasn't proven wrong. "How is it?"

Utakata was the one to offer response, reaching into the folds of his kimono. There he pulled out a tool that looked somewhat like a thin, bent trumpet of some sort, and a green flask. After some quick fiddling he removed the lid of the flask and dipped his tool in, before raising the small end to his lips and exhaling. From the business end grew a large bubble, which after separating began to float idly in front of Naruto. The blond boy stared into the bubble, which changed its opacity until it was equal to looking in a mirror. There, Naruto could see his irises had changed completely. His former baby blues had turned a deep shade of yellow, almost golden like.

Checking himself out in the reflection caused Naruto to jump in shock as Yagura rudely burst the bubble. It seemed the former Mizukage had lost all patience with the second in command, and had decided to ask his questions straight. "Naruto, what the hell is going on?" he demanded, looking at the taller boy with an expression of tiredness. "Forget the kunoichi for now, I want answers."

All of the zeal Naruto had shown before disappeared under the scrutiny of Yagura's pupiless stare. Sensing more to this situation than just Naruto's condition, Gaara stepped around to join his friend. Likewise, Yagura, Utakata and Fuu became closer knit, a clear gap appearing between the two halves of Yoinokuchi. "I can understand the secrecy at the beginning, since we weren't people you could trust yet." Yagura continued, acting as a spokesperson for the other two. Though Fuu nodded along with everything Yagura said, Utakata wore his pensive look as someone who didn't enjoy internal conflict. All the same, Gaara and Naruto knew that in the same way the two of them were close, these three were more of a unit with each other than the rest of the organisation. "What the hell is the meaning behind all this? Don't pretend you don't know, after what we just did we deserve answers."

Gaara looked at Naruto, and was met with the same uneasy look. They had never told the others what the real reason for Yoinokuchi's existence was, and with good reason too. These three wanted nothing to do with the hidden villages, how would they react to the knowledge they were being gathered as superpowers to a battle against those very villages? With the way things were now, Gaara could see only one outcome. The others would abandon the group, and Yoinokuchi would disappear.

But then Naruto surprised even Gaara, by giving a cocky smirk to the straight faced Shinobi. Everyone watched as the newly freed young man turned away and slipped his hands behind his head, taking a lazy few steps away from the rest of the group. "Man, you sure know how to make a big deal over nothing, you know that Yagura?" he asked, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the dark clouds to the distance. It seemed to him that a storm was coming this way. He took a few deep breaths, not letting the poor landscape dishearten him. Then, in one move, he turned on the spot and grinned at his audience. "What the group intends to do, once we've gathered the rest of the Jinchuriki, is build our _own hidden village._"

The silence he received was just as expected, a deaf tone met with frozen gazes. Though he had hoped to see a similar expression on Gaara, he saw the sand nin instead give him a slight nod of approval. It was a shock, but somehow that nod actually meant more to him than the stunned looks of everyone else combined. He couldn't remember the last time Gaara had agreed with a decision Naruto made, at least not when it came to something of this calibre. It had been the Ichibi Jinchuriki's decision not to tell the others about Yoinokuchi's goals in the first place, after Naruto speculated about their reactions prior to their attack on Kirigakure.

Filled with a sense of self pride, Naruto's confident grin turned into a beam that forced the others to realise he wasn't kidding. But even in that case, none of them could answer right away. To create the very thing they had grown to hate was a task not even Utakata could comprehend, for all his knowledge of the ninja structure. However, Fuu was the one to give voice to her own and the ex Kiri nins' thoughts, before even the generally forthright Yagura could. "You want to build your own ninja village?" she repeated, her expression being the most bewildered of the three. "Are you really serious?"

Naruto could understand her shock, certainly. But that wasn't important, what really mattered was that they couldn't understand his feelings. Dropping his hands, he took a short walk around the group towards the Ekokaeten. There he grabbed the hilt of the blade and pulled it out of the earth, before using the reflection of the steel to look at his comrades behind him. "Ninja villages were built to stop people from suffering, right?" he asked, his grin falling away for a frown and a clear tone. He could see from Utakata's expression alone that he was right, though he already knew as much from his sensei Kisame. "For a while that was fine, but then the Biju came into play. Those demons were turned into weapons called Jinchuriki, as a means to ensure the villagers didn't suffer. But all that meant was the collective pain of the villagers was put onto the Jinchuriki."

He turned around to face his group, letting them see his humourless face. None of the protestors could find words to talk back, because there was nothing that Naruto said which could be argued against. "When I was locked in that shithole, I learned something I'm not ever gonna forget." he continued, the bitterness in his tone making his feelings clear. "Running away from the place that caused you that sorrow just makes you afraid of it. The anger, the sadness, the loneliness, all those feelings never go away, no matter how badly you want them to. _That's_ why we're doing this. We all know that collective pain that our villages forced us to take, and because of that, we know what it means more than anyone else to hurt.

"But if we make our own village one built on the memories of all our pain, as well as our hope for the future, we can create a place that deserves to call itself a ninja village. We will be a village outcast by the rest of the world, where everyone knows the pain that ignorant idiots pushed onto others. We'll take everything they put us through, and use it to make us stronger than ever. Cos I can tell you one thing; I'm _not_ going to let that damned place tie me to the ground any more!"

He spoke that last part with such passion, such resolve, and such volume that even the two girls stuck inside the sphere of sand could hear his words. All his fellow Jinchuriki could do was stare at him, and wonder just how his speech seemed to have so much power in it. Of course, out of the lot of them, Gaara was the first to react. He stepped out from behind the three not quite so decisive ninja, walking clearly to stand just behind Naruto's shoulder. "Well?" he asked, his dry voice expectant of everyone else's answer. Though no one was surprised that Gaara was on the same side as Naruto, the way he defined his position only added to what the person most involved with the group had said.

"Heh, what the hell." Utakata muttered, letting out a quiet laugh as he slipped his hands into the sash of his kimono. He watched the ground as he walked by, lightly hitting Yagura's arm with his own, before continuing on to join Gaara on Naruto's other side. There he looked on to his closest friend and the only female member of the group, giving them a welcoming smile as if they had already made their decision. "You know we were never gonna have simple lives, right?"

Despite his open invitation softening the hard looks on the two men beside him, Yagura was clearly reluctant to so willingly comply. From general understanding, he was the one who had suffered most at the hidden village's hands. He had been brainwashed into becoming a cruel dictator, before losing his memories of ever having done so. Between all of them, his loneliness was outcast by his own insecurity, an inability to have faith in anything really. That was why he didn't like the sound of this grand scheme; it sounded a lot like what Kirigakure wanted to do, by forcing him into a position he really didn't want.

Just when it seemed Yoinokuchi was about to lose two members, every male in the group was met with a shocking experience. Fuu had taken Yagura's hand, and stepped around him so that both her sensei and her allies were standing on either side of her. "I think we should do it Yagura-kun." she said, with the sort of tone and expression that seemed too blank to truly comprehend what was going on. "If we don't, then what changes?"

Though all eyes had been on Fuu for that moment, they soon found their way back to the undecided Yagura, who could only stare back at his student in shock. Fuu let go of his hand and took several steps back, finding her way just in front of Naruto and Gaara. There she smiled just like Utakata did, hoping it would be enough to draw the opposing boy over their way.

Yagura looked back at Fuu, and found himself unable to see the girl who used to cling to him like a scared kitten. He had been sure that she would follow any decision he made, and therefore wouldn't be on his own if he made the disagreeing choice. But now he no longer had that, and knew what he had to face if he said what he wanted to. _"But even if I said that… I couldn't mean it."_ he told himself, speaking a truth he would never be able to say out loud.

Dropping his gaze to the ground, he let out a sigh of defeat. Without looking up for a moment, he walked over to the others as silent as could be. He didn't seek to join the crowd however, in stead he took place right in front of Naruto. There the blond boy looked at him with a raised brow, not entirely sure of what was going to happen. Yagura slipped one hand onto his waist, while his eyes lifted to meet with Naruto's. He gave his age mate a look that could rival Gaara's hardest stare, before raising his other hand in a half closed fist.

Though Naruto took a moment to realise what the gesture meant, when it came to him he couldn't help but grin. At that time, he didn't hesitate to grab Yagura's hand, before the two of them exchanged a grip that would hospitalise any normal body builder. "I don't know if it was your training, or your time in prison…" Yagura said, his expression unchanging as he kept his hold on Naruto's hand. Then there was the slightest change, a glint to his eye and a small smirk on his lips. "but you've finally started talking sense."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Naruto replied, as both Utakata and Fuu swooped down on Yagura's shoulders. The hold between the two opposing forces was broken, but Naruto was safe in the knowledge that their bond was secure. Looking over his shoulder to the person behind him, he saw something in the way Gaara looked back at him that he had never seen before. It was a look with respect in it, even if it was well hidden. "Hey, mind if I take the lead?" Naruto asked with a crooked smile.

Gaara looked over to the rest of the Jinchuriki, seeing how the once solemn bunch had managed to become rather excited. He knew well that no matter what he said, he would never be able to cause such a positive reaction. There wasn't much doubt that Naruto possessed the vital part of leadership that he himself lacked. And what was more, it looked like Naruto had developed in other areas as well. "You take point, I'll follow behind you." he said, as his eyes turned over to his sphere of sand not so far away. He felt more than a little sure that their actions were being watched by that Hyuuga, but what the other girl was doing was beyond him right now. "But I think you'll need more to convince those two."

Naruto turned his eyes in the same direction, to the place his captives were at. With the turn of circumstance, he no longer had the desire to take out his revenge on Sakura. But at the same time, he wasn't about to let her go lightly. "I'll make a deal with them." he said, getting the same feeling that Gaara did about them being watched. Knowing this, he spoke in a pronounced way, making sure his lips could be read. "There're people they're looking for. If they want to find them, they're better off sticking with us than Konoha. And when the time comes that we grow enough to have more than one medic, they'll be free to go."

With that, he turned back to the others, deciding to join in on their enthusiasm. While he grabbed Yagura and Fuu and slipped them into a headlock, Gaara waved his hand and pulled his sand away. While his gourd reformed, Sakura and Hinata were revealed to be standing with dazed expressions. It didn't seem that they were in any exact rush to leave either. That confirmed what the two top members of Yoinokuchi had believed, and made the situation much, much easier to deal with.


	8. With the world behind me I begin anew

I think I've managed to set a rather nice pace, both story wise and writing wise. Last chapter was a pretty big twist I threw at you, so I wouldn't be surprised if your expectations have grown. Still, I'm fairly confident I can give you what you want, why would you still be reading if I couldn't? And perhaps the way Naruto treats Sakura and Hinata will show you how he feels about Konoha, since it seems that was put to question earlier.

Disclaimer: The latest Naruto was very interesting. I'm going to have to put some thought into these "contract seals", they sound pretty powerful.

* * *

**With the world behind me I begin anew**

Thick, teeming jungle filled peripherals, leaving mounds of moss and bulky vines in every direction. The fall ill affected this place, the greenery was much too immense to be affected by something as slight as the change in season. Though the chill was still present in the air, and the sun was nowhere in sight. The damp air made everything cold, and in general made this place undesirable. But nonetheless, this was the course Yoinokuchi had been set with, the one they had been moving on since the very moment they left Konohagakure.

Fuu took the lead, being the one least able to remain still. This was fine for Naruto, who had no idea of their destination himself. Gaara was being predictably quiet, refusing to let his attention draw away from the two girls behind him. There, Yagura and Utakata walked to either side of Sakura and Hinata, keeping a close eye on them just in case.

The two of them had been remarkably compliant, though according to Gaara they had been quick to learn of his insomnia. They had spent the rest of the night under a blanket of sand, incapable of making the slightest move for comfort or necessity. No one was naïve to the fact that the Kunoichi were waiting for an opportunity to make a move, hence the reason the others made a point of providing them with none.

"We know that Konoha won't just accept this situation, which is why we have come up with a solution." Utakata explained, using the people skills he had probably possessed since birth to communicate in as near to a friendly manner as was possible with these girls. Though they by no means trusted the smile of that blood fetish weirdo, they were at least comfortable enough to talk to him. Everyone else was treated with a glare and silence. "Since our current base is inside Hi no Kuni anyway, it's a safe choice for us as well. As the situation looks, Konoha doesn't quite know how to handle our group. Ideally they would want to get informants in, to tell them what we're doing. That's where you come in, Hinata-chan."

Hinata's eyes flickered towards Utakata, bitter resentment present in her lavender irises. She was far less cooperative than Sakura, considering her first hand experience of Utakata's scary techniques. It wasn't unlikely that she believed herself to still be trapped in his spell, so naturally she had other reasons for being distrustful. "You'll then intercept those messages, using them as a means to spy on us?" she asked, in a tone far too knowing for anyone's liking. "If that's the case, I think I'd rather have Konoha send another agent in."

"You're a Hyuuga, aren't you?" Yagura asked, cutting in to add the seriousness Utakata sorely lacked. Though he wasn't on the same level as his close friend in these kinds of things, even he could see where the benefits lay in this situation. Having Konoha keeping tabs on them would actually be useful, if everything worked out as Naruto said. "There's a village not far away, you can go there and hire a courier pigeon, watch it fly away if you want."

These words however made the two Konoha nin more suspicious than ever. It was Sakura who spoke her own and Hinata's thoughts, leering at Yagura as if he were a rat that had just taken a shit in her food. "And then we'll try to escape, just like you anticipated, right?" she said accusingly, showing more intelligence than she had displayed earlier. Her words were of course lost on Yagura, but that didn't keep her from saying them. "Don't play us as idiots, if you're going to imprison us then you might as well just do it!"

"You don't have to worry about that, since you're not going to _try_ to escape."

Sakura and Hinata both looked over in surprise, while the two boys guarding them turned their eyes to the same place. Naruto was walking ahead of them with his hands deep in his pockets, his eyes fixed ahead even as he spoke. "Sakura-chan won't leave without her team mate, am I right?" he asked, lifting his head only a fraction to listen out for a response he knew wasn't coming. "Well Hinata-chan won't leave, because her desire to find a certain person surpasses your stupid crush."

The two Konoha kunoichi stopped in their tracks, Hinata before Sakura. The pink haired girl looked at her team mate with both confused and worried eyes. How much she knew about Hinata's situation was unclear, but unimportant at the same time. "I remember you now, Hinata-chan." Naruto continued, as he and the others ahead of him paused as well. "You're the heir to the Hyuuga household right? For you to run off after me like that, the only thing that could have happened is that she told you I'm going after Hyuuga Neji. Mix that with the way your eyes fade when his name comes up, it's not hard to see there's some bad blood there."

Up ahead of them, Fuu continued regardless of the way things were going. She waved her hands vigorously through the air, before placing them on either side of her mouth. "Koya-kun, Aki-kun!" she called out, as bright and cheery as ever. Off to the distance there were sounds of a deep rumbling, and everyone was treated to the sight of six giant, Tuscan red dogs flying through the trees. These massive mutts all convened on Fuu's position, tongues lolling and tails wagging madly. "Hey boys, did ya miss me?"

"Gah!" Naruto gasped, his eyes widening and his breath catching in his throat. He looked at his pack of beasts with a stunned expression, watching the way they playfully pranced around Fuu like they were still pups. What was worse than that, they didn't even shoot the slightest glance towards their master, who was left with a shaking hand half outstretched towards them. "… Traitors!"

Gaara watched lazily as Naruto dashed between Fuu and the dogs, throwing his hand around and slapping the canines on their noses for their childish behaviour. He could almost imagine Kisame standing beside the blond boy, directing him on how to teach obedience to the dogs. It was odd then, that this Naruto was so unlike the person from before. As he gave the signal for the dogs to lie down, which was immediately followed through, he displayed none of the power he had possessed just the other day. Gaara had to wonder then, just what owed Naruto this new strength. And also, why was it he barely gave his blade a second look, when before he would be looking at his sword constantly?

Fuu slipped out from the pile of fur, letting Naruto get reunited with his pets even if it wasn't how he planned it. She walked like someone with absolutely no troubles, her hands held behind her back and a bounce to her step that was a buck away from being a skip. Soon she was walking backwards, facing Sakura and Hinata with a smile that wasn't returned to her. "So you two were in Naruto-kun's class, right?" she asked, looking between the two curiously. In spite of the situation, there was one thing she couldn't help herself from asking now that the opportunity had presented itself. "What was he like back then?"

"Uh Fuu, this isn't really the time for stuff like that." Yagura said, once more reminded of Fuu's knack for poor timing. All the training he had given her couldn't fix that little inherent problem. It didn't help of course that Fuu also had trouble comprehending the inappropriateness even after being told, which was why she looked on with a blank face as Hinata averted her gaze. "Why don't you tell dog boy over there he's going to get left behind?"

His request was more than enough to make Fuu lose interest in the dark haired girl's reaction. Though she never said it out loud, she always did whatever Yagura told her to with a smile on her face. "Hai!" she exclaimed, with a quick salute. Then she stepped around the four of them, before rushing to berate Naruto for being too rough with the dogs. All her sensei could do was sigh into his hand, that girl was the sole reason the organisation didn't have the cool vibe he felt it should have.

It didn't help of course that just about every time he and Fuu spoke to each other, he could sense Utakata's knowing eyes upon him. Whether that look was a positive thing or not, Yagura didn't like it. Both he and his fellow former Kiri knew that Fuu had feelings for him, but their knowledge of this fact had yet to reach Fuu herself. When Utakata had learned that even after two and a half months of training his titular brother had never gotten round to having that talk with Fuu, he treated Yagura to a thump on the arm. Where he had great people skills, Yagura certainly didn't.

Yagura was saved from the lecture however by the two girls on either side of him. It would be like shooting themselves in the foot if the relationships of the three of them were to be revealed. Fuu was a fast learner, but she was too naïve for her own good. To distract the situation from these hazardous thoughts, Yagura decided it was time to cut to another point. "Listen, you two acted outside your village's orders with what you did." he said, without sparing either girl the slightest glance. "But considering that our group is non-threatening, Konoha would stand to gain by getting information, enough so that they would be willing to let you be even when you're no longer needed. Since you two want these guys I keep hearing about, you're not losing anything from this. So what's it gonna be?"

He waited for an answer, but realised that the prisoners were too troubled by what he'd said. With a glance to Utakata, the two of them stepped aside to give the girls room to talk. This they accepted almost gratefully, whispering to each other behind closed hands. Neither Yagura nor Utakata could make out their words, but they didn't need to be able to considering the clear tone. Sakura and Hinata were arguing over something, and by the look of things, Hinata was winning. After a couple of minutes with that talk, Sakura looked more nervous than angry. "We'll accept your terms." Hinata said, looking straight at Yagura as she spoke. "But under the condition that you don't involve us in whatever it is you're doing. We won't be implicated by your actions."

"As if we would do that!" Naruto said, surprising the small group by appearing just behind the girls. He outstretched his head between the two of them, noticing Hinata and Sakura recoil slightly in disgruntlement. But he took no offence from that, he had won his private battle after all. Instead he let a thin grin slip across his lips, and clamped a pair of hands on their shoulders to emphasise his next words. "So we got a doc and a liaison, not a bad start don't you think?"

Both Yagura and Utakata chuckled to the way Naruto acted as if he had planned this from the start. It was impossible of course, there was no way he could have anticipated Hinata. By the look of things, that girl had been a bonus. And also by appearances, neither of them were too happy with the obvious way they were being used. "Fuu-chan!" Sakura called, looking over her shoulder with closed eyes and an off put expression. "Back in the day, this guy was the dead last of the academy, he couldn't even manage the Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Suddenly Fuu came to a stop again, looking at Sakura in quiet surprise. Naruto's head slowly turned around, with the resentful look of someone who wasn't going to enjoy the next few moments. He wasn't proven wrong, as he spotted the faint shine of a tear in Fuu's eyes. Then, like a roll of thunder, Fuu broke out into a fit of laughter so strong she fell over onto Koyane, hugging the dog for balance. Naruto's terrifying appearance suddenly wasn't worth a damn, and he knew it. He gritted his teeth and choked back the urge to pound on Fuu's head, but was seriously tempted in any case. "Damn you… Sakura-chan." he muttered through a tightened jaw. But apparently Sakura was having none of that.

"If I'm your doctor, then refer to me as "sensei"!"

* * *

With all his credibility torn asunder, Naruto had to put every effort in to save face. It was one thing if Fuu didn't treat him with respect, they were too opposing for that. But in the case of Sakura and Hinata, he couldn't allow his image to weaken. If that happened then there was a chance that he may have to get rid of them; something he really didn't want to have to do. They were a pain in the ass to get in, and he hated wasted effort. But all the same, his resolve was truly put to the test, when they finally arrived at base camp.

It was like wandering into the ruins of an ancient civilisation. Stone temples rose from the ground, shrouded in moss and overgrown plants. The huge bricks that made up each piece of this enormous puzzle had become filthy and discoloured, even the cracks had nature growing out of them. But it wasn't the almost mythical appearance of this place that got him, that air had already been hindered by the piles of crates and other signs of human life. What really stopped him in his tracks, was the sheer _size_ of the place. It was easy to believe that this place could act as a settlement for a hundred people, even without the signs that this place had done so recently.

"This_ is our base?" _Naruto thought to himself, as he suddenly remembered to start walking again. The only other ones to show such surprise were the other two who had recently departed Konoha, a connection he really didn't like making. As they descended down the hill that led down to the temples, he really was forced to appreciate the sense of scale. He could almost imagine the people who had built this place, however stereotypical his thoughts of that may have been. _"It probably took more than spear throwing pygmies to build this place."_

They left the ever soft earth behind and stepped onto hard stone, the paving of this immense place. While most of the others walked in a straight line, heading for the main temple far ahead, Naruto, Sakura and Hinata couldn't help themselves from looking around. Vines hung lazily over doorways, pillars were gripped by creeping ivy. Crates and sleeping mats ruined the decadence their contemporary ways, almost annoying Naruto with their insolence. Bandits had been using this place as a camp? Yoinokuchi would put it to much better use.

His deep thoughts were put aside by Utakata's arm, resting on his shoulder while the bubble nin appeared on his other side. The huge claw weapon he had wielded earlier hung at the back of his sash, freeing up his hands for gestures like these. "For the moment, we each cover our own sector of this place." he explained, as he pointed to one of the structures to the left. All the buildings were connected under the same roof and hallways, standing apart with only a metre or two's gap. "That's the place Han-san resides in, and Rei-chan is just next door to him. They've been base sitting while we were away, so they'll be somewhere around here."

As they walked on further through, Utakata continued to tell Naruto little things about their newfound home. Apparently there was another sector like this courtyard behind the temple as well, giving the place an odd sense of symmetry. There were other temples like it in the area, but none bigger than this one. Yoinokuchi were using this place much as the bandits left it. As unimaginative as it was, the temple was to act as the command centre, however grand that title was for such a small group.

"It looks like they are waiting for us." Gaara said, as he led the others to the staircase leading to the command centre. Up at the open entrance, the head of a fair skinned girl with flowing black hair could be seen. This was soon followed by the appearance of an incredibly tall man clad in a thick white jumpsuit possessing a mask that his the lower half of his face. With his long, spiky brown hair tied back in a ponytail, Naruto couldn't help but gain the mental image of this man being a younger Jiraiya. But of course, the hair and the height were the only similarities between those people.

"Ah, welcome back." greeted Rei, bowing in a very polite manner. As Yoinokuchi reached the top of the stairs, Naruto looked at the girl who was the daughter to the man beside her, Han, and realised once again that these two bore no similarities at all. But this was only a fleeting thought, as he fond himself stopping to realise just how pretty Rei was. She had gained a little weight on her previously ragged body, and looked as if she had gotten some much needed rest. With that, her icy eyes lost the darkness that her eyelids had given her, and now seemed brighter than ever before. The fuchsia kimono she wore was as well kept as she was, combined with her manner she seemed almost like a wife greeting her husband home. "Did you have a safe trip?"

It seemed to Naruto he had failed to realise another little change in himself that had developed over time. He couldn't help but notice how innocent Rei looked, and couldn't deny the little part of him that wanted to ruin that purity. However it seemed his ignorance to himself was not included in others, as Han suddenly placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder and shot Naruto a look of warning with his sharp pink eyes. His protectiveness of his daughter knew no bounds, considering that they had only been reunited for a few months. Although on the other hand, there was the fact that he didn't like Naruto all that much. Though for all the thought he gave it, the blond boy struggled to find a reason why.

With the group now complete, they all moved in to the main temple without further ado. The inside was a tall, circular chamber containing a stone ring that filled the middle of the room. In the centre of that ring was an alter of sorts, that and several places on the outer ring were grotesquely stained with blood. But that blood had long since dried, the smell barely present even to Naruto's nose. What he focused on instead was the wall on the far side of the room, which contained three sheets of paper pinned to a placard with shuriken. Studying these pieces of paper as he stepped around the ring, he saw the faces of three people on small photographs. And old man with red hair tied back in a ponytail and a thick beard, a dark skinned man with pale corn rows and a goatee, and a woman with a long blond braid.

"Those are the final three we need to find, before setting our sights on our ultimate goal." Gaara said, noticing Naruto's gaze. Before the series of events that had led to them taking residence here, Naruto had shown little interest in research. He only wanted to deal with the Jinchuriki in person, not use information got through sketchy methods to twist their arms. As a result, he didn't know any of these faces. "Roushi is a retired Iwa Shinobi, the nephew of the Tsuchikage. Kirabi is the Raikage's brother, and Nii Yugito is a member of a clan sworn to protect the heads of the Yotsuki clan, which is the Raikage himself."

Even though that wasn't a lot of information, Naruto still wore a puzzled look about him. His eyes narrowed and a slight sign of sweat appeared on his brow, a habit he was apparently yet to grow out of. "Wow, sounds like Kumo's gonna be a tough one." he said, looking between the two Jinchuriki from Kaminari no Kuni. If he was foolish enough to believe that those two would feel the same way as he did about the hidden villages, then he might have been able to relax. But considering the trouble he had had with Yagura, Utakata and Fuu just the other day, he now fully understood that the similarities of being Jinchuriki weren't as strong as he once thought. Nonetheless, he was willing to rise to the challenge. After all, if the Raikage was a clan head then his brother was close in line right? So if he got Kirabi, then it might be easier to go for Yugito after.

Behind the two of them everyone else had gathered around the ring, with the exceptions of, Rei, Sakura and Hinata, who stood aside. When Gaara tapped Naruto's arm and gestured to the centre, the two of them took their places as well. With everyone at equal distance to each other, what had been a look around for Naruto had suddenly turned into some sort of formal meeting. Yagura was the one to start things off, choosing a topic which was a surprising pick considering his standing on it. "Han-san is the only one who is uninformed, so we should fill him in on what Naruto already told us." he said, placing his hands upon the stone table with his ever stressed expression. "Maybe cut the pretty speech this time, ok?"

Han looked at Naruto as everyone else did, cocking a brow curiously at the attention this stupid boy was getting. The response Naruto gave suited Han's impression of him, the bewildered look was very fitting. "Uh… alright." Naruto said, resting one arm on the table as he looked at Han with as blank a face as was expected of him. However, he couldn't possibly have expected what Naruto was about to tell him next. "Once we're done allying all the Jinchuriki with us, we're gonna make our own hidden village. Is that alright with you?"

All eyes turned to Han, not a soul among them sure of what the eldest Jinchuriki would possibly respond with. This person was capable of giving looks of complete disinterest without dropping his attention for a second. At the same time, he could seem unresponsive, yet be rigged to blow in a dangerous rage if you didn't tread carefully enough. That was the sort of look he had now, one masked with ambiguity of shock, interest and annoyance. But to add to this unpredictable atmosphere, the giant nin raised his fingers to his nose. There he pinched the tip of his mask, before pulling it down and away from his face. In place of the blank whiteness laid tanned skin darkening a powerful jaw and a mouth thin enough to seem almost like a slash across his face. "If that's the case, I suppose there's no choice."

It couldn't be helped, the looks he was given. Naruto, Utakata and even Yagura stared with open mouths, their eyes shrunken to almost pinprick sizes. This was the first time anyone bar Rei had heard this normally silent giant speak, and therefore was a moment that was paid full heed to. Han had a voice like no other, huskier than Gaara's, yet deep and wise. The three more emotionally stable male nin couldn't help feeling jealous, what man _wouldn't_ want a voice like that?

"If you wish to build something of such a scale, there is no way I could turn my back." Han continued, his raised hand making up for his still expression. For perhaps the first time in years, he had an audience who couldn't help listening to his every word. Even Fuu was rapt by his tone and surprisingly refined nature; what she had heard of the crazed hermit didn't match up to what she was seeing now. Han's open palm face the ceiling, his eyes settling on it as if he were watching a single snowflake melt melting on his strong, callused hands. "I've studied almost every form of art out there, and have come to learn something very significant. True beauty lies not in the end, but the path taken to get there. Turning this pile of raw materials into something so grand will be my ultimate goal, mark my words."

If the room hadn't been stunned into silence, it certainly would have been now. Han lifted his hand to his neck and pulled his mask back over his mouth, before settling back down as if he had never said a thing. Naruto, whose eyes were still in the same disbelieving manner, blinked a few times before realising what he had just been told. "Um… right." he said, looking at the floor across from him in some desperate attempt to collect himself. But that action failed him; all he could do was point weakly at Han, who once more cocked his brow at the stupefied blond boy. "Then… Han-san will be in charge of doing… that… then. Uh… now what?"

The others were hardly in a position to answer however, most of them were trying to figure out just what Han meant by "raw materials". Between the rest of them, the only members who had managed to stay composed were Gaara and, surprisingly, Fuu. The green haired girl looked over to Yagura, who was the closest person to her right now, and leant over with one hand covering her mouth. "Hey, Yagura-kun, do you think _you_ could make a voice like that?" she asked, oblivious to the serious wound she dealt to her sensei's ego.

Gaara was the one to speak up next, folding his arms as he always did. He looked over to the papers on the unfound Jinchuriki one more time, before starting the next topic. "Iwa's security will still be too tight from our last visit, and we don't know the Yonbi's location." he said, speaking of the mission he and Naruto had gone on to find Han. The mess that mission had become thanks to a mercenary they hired was too great for another attempt to be made just yet. "It would be safe to assume Kumo knows the lengths we are willing to go to complete our mission, so even hiring ourselves out to them as a guise won't work. That village has a powerful terrain to their advantage, and is possibly the most powerful in terms of sheer strength. Sneaking in undetected is impossible, direct combat inadvisable."

Everyone waited for Gaara to continue, anticipating a clever but simply put plan of entry. But when his silence maintained, it was clear that he had truly reprised his role as leader, and as such was looking at the situation from an even more detached perspective than ever before. Naruto understood however, Gaara's condition meant his mind could never rest. Even though the situation involving the Jinchuriki was still the same, it wasn't surprising if Gaara's subconscious was relieving itself now that the pressure was off of him. Really, he'd earned that reprieve.

This however did cause a problem for everyone else. With Yagura's knowledge of Shinobi arts and Utakata's understanding of Shinobi structure, they could both together figure out what sort of things Kumo nin might do. But without their terrain master, they would be faced with an inevitable disadvantage that the other two couldn't overcome. "No one's been able to sneak inside Kumogakure since the second great war." Utakata said, more muttering with volume than making the others aware of certain facts. "Then again, the same was said of Konoha. Unfortunately however the Chunin exams don't include that village, so infiltration will be too difficult."

Yagura turned on the spot, his hands slipping behind his head as he looked out the open doorway to the courtyard below. Unfortunately for him, with his memories in the state they were the only help he could offer was purely speculative. But that didn't stop him from doing what he could, he wasn't about to hold the rest back out of ineptitude. "Considering Kumo's landscape, they would have to have an incredible barrier team to cover the entire village like Konoha does." he said, leaning back on the cold stone in a position too relaxed for anyone's liking. "It could be the case that instead of one barrier, they've got many small ones. But even if that's the case, it doesn't make much difference."

A discontented sigh slipped out of Naruto's lips, forcing him to lean down on the stone before him. Considering this was the first meeting with him as leader, things were looking pretty bad. It didn't help of course that Hinata and Sakura were watching from the corner. As little as he cared about their personal opinions, it boiled his blood to think that Konoha nin might be looking down on him. He needed to find a way, there _had_ to be something. But all that time locked in a prison had only given him space to think, not to learn. He had perhaps been overzealous before, speaking more than was necessary. _"Damn it, what're we gonna-"_

"Um… there is _one_ way."

Naruto froze in shock, his tightened hands unclenching at the words he jut heard. He, like everyone else at the table turned to look at one specific person, looking as if that someone had just thrown water at the rest of the room. Hyuuga Hinata kept her head bowed, her cheeks darkened from her sudden announcement. Beside her, Sakura too was stunned. For someone who had been so adamant not to get involved in Yoinokuchi's dealings, was she offering aid already? Though Naruto hated to admit it, by this point he was open to any suggestions, even if it had to come from a Konoha ninja. "What is it?"

Hinata paused for a moment, looking as if she was second guessing herself. It took her a moment to still her anxiety, and steady her expression. Once she had achieved that, she lifted her head and looked as flatly as she could at Naruto, though failed just ever so slightly. "Kumogakure… they…" she began, swallowing hard and moistening her lips nervously. "They like kekkei genkai."

With her reply sinking into the ears of everyone around, silence prevailed like a heavy cloth draping over the group. Yagura and Utakata looked at each other, while Gaara and Naruto glanced between themselves. Han scanned all four of the boys, his eyes moving with there's as they all moved to one person in particular. Fuu looked blankly back at them, wondering what on earth had drawn all this sudden attention to her.

"Eh?"


	9. The truth is truly an ambiguous thing

My cousin formatted my PC the other day, so all my files were wiped from the hard drive. That's why I'm updating so late this time, I'll be able to get back on track right away. I think I'll also be able to keep my minimum as a constant 5000 from now on, since the last few chapters have been at least that long. I've got to think about some stuff, most of the planning to this part only involves later stuff, so I'm stumped for what to do now.

Disclaimer: with Onemanga closing down, I think we can say goodbye to the accurate scans from Sleepyfans. Still, at least Binktopia from Mangastream makes translations that actually sound like what the characters would say.

* * *

**The truth is truly an ambiguous thing**

The meeting was over, and everyone was setting out to the tasks appointed to them for the moment. Utakata was leaving in a couple of hours to investigate a lead on a small clan of Shinobi that didn't belong to any particular village, intending to seek members willing to join Yoinokuchi's cause. Yagura meanwhile was studying information gathered on what was the former Ta no Kuni. With the village assigned with protecting that land, Otogakure, no longer possessing any structure to fulfil its duty, there was a possibility that a deal could be set up with the Daimyo to get a more stable income. Gaara was taking time to properly consider the terrain of Kaminari no Kuni and coming up with a future strategy, while Fuu trained for her future role of infiltrating that village. Being the only available one then, Naruto had left to collect supplies. Only Han was left, and he had some great things to think about indeed.

Sakura and Hinata had both been led by the giant Shinobi towards the room that was to act as the medical bay. Though it was little more than a cube with a bed and several first aid kits in truth. Neither of the girls had complained about the situation, both had been pretty much forgotten after Hinata's suggestion. But they themselves were still thinking seriously of it, Sakura in particular. "What were you thinking telling them something like that?" she demanded, as soon as she was sure they were alone. Though she felt truly anxious, she leant against the counter behind her to rest her weary body. All the same she watched her team mate closely, and for the first time wondered to just what extent the girl was willing to go. "If they're situated in Hi no Kuni, and invade Kaminari no Kuni, that would only be an excuse for Kumo to do something dangerous!"

Hinata didn't look Sakura in the eye; she knew how she must have looked back there. To most it would be seen as a betrayal of Konoha, to help a group of terrorists like this. Maybe in a sense it was. "They're letting us inform our village, but that may not be for long!" she replied, gripping her hands nervously as she tried to make her explanation sound convincing. "The way things were looking, there wouldn't be very much to tell. This way we can get more out to the Hokage while we still have the chance!"

This time it was Sakura's turn to avert her gaze, though her look wasn't as shameful as Hinata's. She had to admit that was true, but she didn't like it any more because of it. Where Hinata was certain about this situation, Sakura wasn't. "But if you'd kept quiet, then we could have informed Konoha of our location and stop them before they can cause damage!" she said, tightening her grip on the countertop behind her. "With all of them splitting up like this, taking them down will be much more difficult!"

She turned her eyes to Hinata as she finished speaking, hoping her words would get through to her forlorn friend, who seemed to have been deprived of her senses. The shock was hers then, when Hinata suddenly rounded her and met her eyes with a strong, yet angered look. Hinata was obviously displeased with Sakura, her hands clenched into fists and her stance unwavering. "Please don't act so selfishly!" the normally timid girl exclaimed, with more force than Sakura could muster. "We're here because of your decision, so don't place the blame on me!"

Sakura was stunned by Hinata's demand, caught with her mouth open and her eyes wide. Even after she had finished her statement, Hinata continued to look at Sakura in that same manner until she got her response. The initial fright the pink haired girl received dissipated, and was replaced with regret and loss. "You're right… I'm sorry." she said, dropping her gaze ashamedly. She let go of the countertop and gripped her wrist, clenching her hand around it uneasily. "It's my fault this happened, I dragged you into this."

If she expected Hinata to thank her for admitting that, she was sorely mistaken. What she received instead was a sigh and a flick to forehead, something a Hyuuga could easily make painful. She yelped and touched her sore spot, looking like a kicked puppy as she stared at her friend for an answer. "Stop trying to make people feel sorry for you!" Hinata ordered, giving the same strong look as before, but lacking some of the anger she had possessed. "Didn't you train under Hokage-sama so you could be stronger than that?"

The two girls stared into each others eyes, but the looks were completely one sided. Hinata had hit Sakura where it hurt, and the Hyuuga girl was well aware of it. But taking her words to heart, Sakura didn't pity herself. Instead she shook her head lightly, before giving Hinata the same look she was being sent. "You're right, my bad." she said, straightening up to demonstrate whatever pride she had after the wound to her ego. "So what do we do then?"

* * *

Just outside the temple, on a hill filled with insurmountably tall trees, Fuu stood tall with her stance of pure focus. The cool breeze and buzzing of passing insects were unknown to her, though the bugs seemed to be giving her a wide berth. She had never once been in contact with an insect, and Yagura had a theory about that. It was that theory which was being tested out now, while Fuu's sensei watched from above.

Fuu had an ability, a kekkei genkai known as "Nikusui". From the experiments Yagura had conducted involving Fuu doing all sorts of things, he had managed to get the gist of the ability's methods. At its most basic state, Fuu's sweat could be absorbed into the flesh of others. There it attacked the nerve cells before consuming them, and turning them into a potent acid. It was a painful technique, but not without its risks. Fuu had to make physical contact of course, and overuse of the technique dehydrated her.

With training however, Fuu had learned to control the conversion of her perspiration. As long as she focused, she could use her fluids to convert other materials into acid, not just nerve cells. She could melt rock, metal and glass, but only to an extent. The more she melted something, the more effort it took. There were still some aspects she couldn't help however, side effects to the Nikusui that had little to do with chakra control. One such effect was that when she became especially agitated, her sweat would turn to vapour and cause her body to steam a little. It was that aspect however, which the others found most fun.

Fuu slipped her hands into the ram seal, her brow furrowing into deep concentration. There was no vapour rising from her body this time, she was controlling her Nikusui in a way that didn't allow any excess of perspiration. Once she had completed the process she needed, she snapped her eyes open wide. "Bunshinjutsu: Deadly Comfort Woman!" she called, causing her perspiration to suddenly rise out of her body. The vapour caused from her sweat drifted to her left, before whirling around at a rapid pace. A few seconds later, it took on the form of a second Fuu, standing in the same pose as the original. Fuu dropped her seal and looked at her work with an excited smile, before whirling on the spot and looking up into the trees. "Yagura-kun! How is it?"

Yagura looked down from the thick pile of papers in his hand, studying the two Fuu's with blank eyes. His student was giving him a look that almost pleaded for praise, but he wasn't the best one for giving it. "Creating the Bunshin is one thing, but it's the dissipation that really matters." he said, as he turned his eyes back the report and lazily turned the page. He could see Fuu's downcast look from his peripheral vision, and knew firsthand how easy it was to make Fuu doubt herself. "If you can make three more without any of them breaking down, you can have _that_."

Fuu gasped in shock, her eyes suddenly gleaming as she second guessed what it was she had just heard. Childishly she raised her hands to her chest, bunching them up into fists while her Bunshin mimicked her perfectly. "R-really?" she asked, her disbelief plain to see. When Yagura glanced down at her again, and gave a brief nod, she quickly straightened up with her hand flying to her head in a salute and a hasty "Hai!". Then she immediately set to work, turning around and raising her hand in the seal once again.

Yagura tried to get on with reading the file in his hand, but he found himself too distracted. It wasn't the feeling of Fuu's energy that dragged his attention away however, it was something much nearer than that. On the branch above from him, a certain someone had appeared. "… So what is _that_ then?" Utakata asked, slipping his hands into his sleeves and wearing as lazy an expression as his smaller friend. He watched Fuu's rigorous training with interest, taking quiet delight in the name Fuu had chosen for her technique. It was too perfect for him to ignore.

"Who knows?" Yagura replied, with a half hearted kind of shrug. He knew that Fuu had a strange way for naming her techniques, though this one was probably the most controversial yet. A comfort woman was a prostitute who solicited herself to soldiers fighting for their country. Where Fuu learned such a term was worrisome to Yagura, he couldn't help wondering just what the role of women in Takigakure really was. "I just mention a possible reward, and she gets all excited like that. I figure if it gets her to train harder, then that's a pretty good method."

Utakata stared at Yagura with shrunken eyes, even him being taken in by disbelief at the explanation he had just been given. "You know niisan… you have some pretty warped views on women." he said, not possessing the energy to be much more defining with his words. "Actually… I think it may be _people in general_ that you've got warped views about."

Yagura gave Utakata a curious look, wondering what on earth his older friend was talking about. He shrugged it off how ever; there were things that needed to be done. Closing the file and slipping it into a hole in the tree, he swung his legs over to one side and looked down at Fuu. The girl had successfully created a second Bunshin, but was showing signs of struggling with another. "Anyway, let's get it over with." he said, before slipping off of the branch. Utakata let out a sigh, quietly despairing for his niisan's humanity, before hopping down after him.

Landing on the ground with a light thud, the two boys drew the attention of a surprised Fuu. Their sudden approach tilted the balance of her focus in a way she couldn't recover from, and in a cloud of purple mist her two Bunshin broke. Though she was affected to little more than a cough, Yagura and Utakata made sure to keep a wide berth until the mist had fully descended. "You're way too tense to stay stable, you need to relax more." Yagura said, as he walked towards the withering girl in front of him. With a faint sign behind his back for Utakata to start, he used his other hand to gesture that Fuu turn around.

Utakata did as Yagura had asked of him earlier and took out his bubble blowing tool and flask. Quickly dipping the end into his solution, he prepared to take a sample of Fuu's perspiration with the intent to give their new doctor a job that would keep her occupied. Yagura had been curious about learning the fullest extent to Fuu's kekkei genkai, which was the whole purpose for this. _"Alright, all set over here."_ Utakata told himself, as he raised the bubble blower to his lips. _"Now what're you going to do?"_

Yagura gave instructions for Fuu to take deep breaths, while he glanced over her neck, arms and back. Fuu seemed a little nervous about having Yagura so close to her, since even now she was tensing up uncomfortably. "If you get tense like this in battle, you'll only be doing the enemy's job for them." he said, raising his hands to his chest and cracking his knuckles loudly. "Learn all the Jutsu you want, it won't do you a bit of good if you end up with a bad-"

"AH!"

Yagura cocked his brow and Utakata blanched. Fuu had squeaked loudly from shock as Yagura without warning placed his hands on her hips and squeezed. With a slight smirk on his face, Yagura felt the reaction he was looking for. "Come on, what did I just say?" he said in a teasing voice, as he felt Fuu's skin heat up considerably. He shifted his hands up to her shoulders, arms and the middle of her back, dealing the same squeezes in each place with heightened effects.

"I- I'm sorry!" Fuu stammered in reply, bowing her head to hide her red face. She had never imagined in her wildest thoughts that Yagura would do something like this to her, to touch her without warning. _"Well… that's not true."_ she admitted, succeeding in only embarrassing herself more. Under this situation she was forced to relive perverted thoughts that put her to shame with herself. _"Mo-oh, stop thinking things like that!"_

After a few more brief checks, Yagura dropped his hands and let out a sigh. Fuu was perspiring a great deal of vapour, and it was no longer safe to touch her. Though there was an ulterior motive to his actions, he couldn't help feeling disappointed that Fuu had been unable to do as he said. Taking a step back, he waited for Fuu to turn and look at him before gesturing back to the temple. "Why don't you go to the spring and cool down?" he suggested, with the same bored look he had worn back in the tree. Fuu glanced behind Yagura to Utakata, who wasn't meeting her gaze. Feeling yet more embarrassment rising as she realised they had had an audience, she was quick to accept that suggestion and run off. When she was gone, Yagura looked behind to Utakata with an expectant expression. "Did you get-"

He stopped his question halfway however, and understandably so. Utakata's hands were clenched so tight he managed to add yet another dent to his bubble blowing device. What was more, he was shaking in quiet anger and releasing a killer intent that Yagura was sure even Naruto could have felt from the village miles away. But before he could enquire as to the reason behind Utakata's anger, the taller boy suddenly threw his hands to the ground and pulled out a rock the size of a chest, holding it high above his head with a look of intense rage.

"BAKAYAROU!"

* * *

In the lower levels of the temple, in a dark room with no windows, small candles filled the floor with their weak orange lights. These miniature torches were laid out in an intricate pattern, coinciding with carvings in the stone floor of a circle and other stranger symbols. The air was warm and lifeless, all the oxygen being burnt away by the tiny flames, which failed to reach even the ceiling of this cramped room. But these conditions were just perfect; arid and foreboding.

Gaara sat in the middle of these candles, his legs crossed and his hands on his knees. The dark rings around his closed eyes coincided with the rising light to give him an eerily skeletal look, the low visibility adding by making his hair and the marking on his forehead resemble blood. He had removed his duster for obvious reasons, and placed it beside a small stack of photos bearing images of a mountainous region. In place of his jacket was a white and red pinstriped shirt with an auburn waistcoat over it, looking just as scruffy as the duster. He breathed in deeply, taking in the dry air and feeling the pressure all around him. The room itself was meaningless, aside from adding an extra degree of realism to his work. For behind his eyes lay not a curtain of darkness, but another world altogether.

A vast, vacant desert filled his view from every angle, giant dunes and empty skies were all that was to be seen. He himself sat atop one of the tallest dunes, his eyes still closed as the world remained unformed. He drew in yet another long, deep breath, before releasing it in a wave that changed the very shape of the desert all around him. Holes opened up deep below, sucking the sand down into the depths far beneath. Not all the sand was pulled away however, several choice dunes including the one Gaara was situated on remained in position, instead reforming as sand was corroded away from them. Gaara waited for several long minutes, before finally opening his eyes.

To say he sat in a desert was no longer accurate, even though it had ever really been true in the first place. It would be truer to say that he sat in what was most probably the grandest sandcastle that had ever existed. Placed atop the tallest mountain, he looked down at the village known as Kumogakure, crafted by the photographs he had studied vigorously. From what he could have seen, this was a perfect, if discoloured, rendition of that place. As long as the photos weren't too outdated, this was essentially the same as being present in the Hidden Cloud Village.

Gaara rose to his feet and looked down to the village below, viewing the odd way the buildings were crafted into the very mountains that gave the country its name. The rope bridges intersecting these buildings looked like a hazardous net, but most probably were used only by Shinobi. After all, Kumogakure was a village which still had strong military forces. The civilians and traders stayed in a much lower, much safer place than this. That confirmed a thought of Gaara's, one that he could only realise like this; only Shinobi could ascend to these levels.

As he dropped off the tip of the mountain, and plummeted down several hundred feet, he was met with a guttural roar that exploded from far below. About a mile below from his position, hidden behind a large, circular gate set in the depths of the earth, an immense beast cried out for Gaara's blood. "Silence." Gaara called in reply, waving his hand as he landed in the midst of trees on the roof of a grand building. Though the place down there was out of sight, he could hear the hatred of the Ichibi no Shukaku die away as that place was once again filled with sand. "I have no time for you."

This world was his own, a place he had created for whatever desires he possessed. From the power drawn from the Shukaku, this was entirely possible for him. Though the strategic uses were in themselves invaluable, there were other benefits from this place as well. However, those benefits were for his knowledge alone. There wasn't a single soul alive for whom he would allow to discover what roamed these lands. If anyone were to know these things, their fate would be to die by his hand. Or perhaps not necessarily his own hands.

He stepped out from the small forest and out onto the edge of the largest structure in the village. From the gathered information, this was the building which held the Raikage's office and home, making it the most important building anywhere in a hundred miles. Of course, this was only a sculpture of that place, meaning that Gaara treated it with none of the respect such an area would deserve. Then again, it was unlikely he would give the real place special treatment either.

Stretching his arm out to the left, Gaara looked down the edge of the building. Though he already knew what he would see, it was good to get a proper sense of scale like this. He tightened his hand into a fist, and ignored the shrill scream that pierced the sky. Sand struck his body like blood, and the shuddering noise came to a stop as quick as it started. Wasting no more time, he dropped down below. It was time to begin planning.

* * *

"Damn niisan!" Utakata cursed under his breath, as he strode through the halls of the temple with a heated expression. He had always known that Yagura was his total opposite when it came to social manners and etiquette, but he had never in his life imagined that his friend's detached nature was really that bad. To so openly touch a girl with the reason bearing nothing to do with that girl's health or feelings was almost criminal to him. He could easily forgive it if Yagura had done it for the reaction, he himself was guilty of acting to that end on many occasions.

In spite of himself, Utakata couldn't keep a hold of his anger however. He knew that Yagura couldn't easily consider other people's feelings when he felt they were trivial. This wasn't because of some sociopathic aspect of his personality, but rather that he couldn't do that because he himself had never been allowed trivial thoughts. He had been trained all his life against such things, and sadly that training had been successful. Utakata rubbed his temple begrudgingly as he gritted his teeth, actually feeling a little guilty for his own reaction back there. _"Rehabilitating him is harder than I thought."_

He ascended a set of stairs that rose to a level far from what the main temple reached, the hallway he walked through becoming almost completely enclosed by walls. There he found a particularly large room, and stopped outside it. Like all the others it lacked a door, so he had only one method of politely announcing his presence. "I'm coming in, if that's alright." he said, waiting a moment for reply. When all was silent, he decided to leave things to fate and make his way in. The room inside split off into two smaller rooms, one intended for waiting and the other serving another purpose. As he stepped inside the second room further ahead, he noticed Sakura and Hinata standing rather uncomfortably. "I hope I'm not interrupting you two."

Though he had been sure that neither girl would look at him, he was surprised to see both had his full attention. Judging by the tension in the air, combined with the awkward way the two girls were standing, he had interrupted something very important indeed. He didn't require much to guess what the Kunoichi had been talking about; he certainly knew what would be on _his_ mind if the situation was reversed. Of course he wasn't surprised by this, in fact everyone had been expecting it. That was why he was able to go about his task without showing the slightest sign of disconcertion.

"If you're not busy Sakura-chan, there's a little job you could help us out with." he said, as he stepped into the room. Sakura and Hinata watched him uncertainly as he reached inside his kimono, pulling out a small corked phial containing liquid with a slight purple tint. He lightly shook this phial before handing it over to Sakura, who took it as though it were a diamond… or perhaps an explosive. "Do you think you could analyse this for us? There are tools in here if you need them."

The two girls studied the phial closely, neither sure just what it was the pink girl was holding. There were few liquids that had that colour without being something peculiar, so naturally they were both interested. Being the one with the medical training however, Sakura was naturally inclined to display more curiosity than her less knowledgeable friend. "Um… ok." she said, with a rather blank expression to her face. She looked up over the phial to Utakata, showing him a pair of rather wide eyes that the bubble nin couldn't help find somewhat attractive. Fortunately however, he had more self control than some of the other members of Yoinokuchi, so all Sakura received in return was a casual smile. "… What is it?"

Utakata opened his mouth to answer, but then he hesitated. Thinking about it for a moment, he wondered what exactly he should tell Sakura. After all, there were _some_ things the group didn't want Konoha finding out about, hence the reason they chose Hinata as a liaison in the first place. That way they could control just what Konoha knew about them. "It's a poison I found a while ago." he explained, speaking in half truths as he came up with a solution to the predicament. "I've got a bit of an interest in poisons, but this one is sort of outside my abilities. I'll leave it in your care, so let me know what you find out ok?"

Without waiting for a reply from Yoinokuchi's new doctor, he grinned and waved as he left the room for his mission. When he departed, Sakura and Hinata turned their eyes back to the phial with deep frowns on their faces. They were sure what they had been given was either something important, or something to keep Sakura preoccupied. Whichever the case, there was only one thing for the medic nin to do. She would have to work on this as quickly as possible to either unlock its secrets, or get it out of the way. Understanding this, Hinata nodded to her before taking her leave. She too had things to do, as it was.

* * *

Miles away from the temple, on a small path leading away from an out of the way village, Naruto let out a deep and tired yawn. He hadn't been given the opportunity to rest yet before being sent out to gather supplies for the base. Though he didn't have a problem doing with the task itself, his time locked up had greatly hindered his energy levels. It pained him to think it, but the most prominent thing on his mind now was to find somewhere to lie down.

He had sent the dogs on ahead with the gathered supplies, and now took on a leisurely pace as he made his way back to his new home. Even moving at this pace gave him somewhat a chance to recover. He knew that he would have to do some rigorous training and bulk up if he was to truly get back on form. To that end, he had managed to sneak in a few dozen cups of instant ramen in with everything else, and was prepared to fight for the right to them when he got back.

"_Man… it's kinda lonely like this."_ he told himself, as he peaked over a slight hill with his hands behind his head. The zweihaender on his back felt a little heavier than usual, an indicator of his lacking physical strength. But that wasn't the only thing lacking in this situation. His sword was more than a giant blade of steel, it was an entity with intelligence and power. Or at least… that used to be the case. _"I hate to say it, but I miss talking with you… Eko."_

In spite of his feelings, Naruto couldn't help grinning to himself at that. He supposed it must have been the aspect of his personality that was now in fact the Ekokaeten's mind. A few months ago, when he had journeyed to an island in search of new strength. Though he had gotten what he searched for, he had also gained more… and lost some too. When the Ekokaeten became complete, his personality and Naruto's became one in the blond boy's mind. In short, Naruto changed from that experience, both mentally and physically. But both aspects had paled in comparison to what he learned there. What he had found, was his heritage.

Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato, or more accurately, the Yondaime Hokage and his wife. Those two people were his parents, and one of those was the reason he had become the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko. It was because of that that he had experienced all the pain in his life, the suffering of being hated, and treated as the very thing that had been sealed within him against his will. When he had found out, his anger had been so great it almost paralysed him. But now, for some funny reason, he felt grateful to them. _"If I had grown up in that place, with a normal life, would I be just like those people?" _he asked himself, thinking of the villagers of Konohagakure. The idea was almost painful, to think that he could have been a person like that. _"I guess I owe you one tousan, bet you're glad you-"_

He felt a warmth behind him, one that came much stronger than the feelings inside of him. His brow rose in surprise as roaring flames surrounded him from behind, erasing his existence completely from view. The firestorm beat the path like a stampede of hell beasts, scorching the earth and the grass into the kind of blackness representative of the will of someone capable of such a feat. The fires continued to blaze for several long seconds, before fading away almost as quickly as they had come.

About twenty yards behind, a shadow flickered into form. A young boy crouched in the middle of the road, clad in the dark clothes of a martial artist. This boy, with the dark, shaggy ponytail, kept his eyes closed and his hands held together in the tiger seal. Slowly he removed his hands from their grip, spreading them out far to either side. There he let out a deep exhale, relaxing from his completed task. He opened his eyes, revealing black irises that locked onto the target ahead. There, his already pale skin whitened even further.

Naruto stood upright, one hand gripping the hilt of his sword with it still in place on his back. His body was completely unaffected by the flames from before, and to the boy's further shock even the grass at Naruto's feet still bore the droplets of moisture that should have been burned away. As Naruto released the hilt of the blade, he also released the faintest aura of chakra, signifying an action that had been done by his hand.

Terror filled this boy's soul, forcing him to fall back onto his rear as Naruto looked over his shoulder. The expressionless eyes that met his own was far scarier than any glare that could have been given to him. As Naruto turned around to face his attacker, the boy hurriedly switched position from his butt to his knees, his head pressed to the ground and his arms laid out before him. "Please forgive me!" he pleaded, sensing his impending mutilation and fearing it rightfully. "I only attacked you to test your abilities, please believe me!"

His body tensed as he heard Naruto's footsteps, and realised the end was probably upon him. But when the steps grew quieter and quieter, he couldn't help but look up. To his dismay, and more than partial relief, Naruto had turned and was walking away, muttering something that sounded a lot like "waste of my fucking time". Though the boy was infinitely grateful to still be alive, seeing this person ignore him filled him with a different sense of dread. Hurrying to his feet, he ran after Naruto with a worried look, clear desperation on his face. "Please, hear me out!" he cried, running only fast enough to ensure he didn't in fact get any closer to Naruto. "I'm willing to pay, I- gah!"

His eyes shrunk in shock as Naruto suddenly began walking faster, increasing the distance between the two remarkably so. In effort to keep up, the boy hurried along as well, his begs becoming louder and harder to ignore. But Naruto was of course a stubborn one, not the sort to just give up because someone else acted as persistently as he did. And so began a battle of wills, one that could lead to the death of one, or a very annoying situation indeed.

"Ah, money, treasures, servants, anything you- ah- A HAREM, WE HAVE A HAREM!"


	10. Casting shadows where the dark can't

It's hard to believe just how much time I had once I finished writing this. It was almost TOO easy to reach my minimum limit. Then again, rather than stretching what happened over the course of a few chapters, I fit it all into one, so I guess it makes sense. I'm just back from taking the puppy to get his second vaccination, and within a week he'll by my uncle's akita's new chew toy! I can't wait, the little bastard outright refuses to do the toilet anywhere but on the floor!

Disclaimer: Anyone else feeling cautious of the next Naruto chapter?

* * *

**Casting shadows where the dark can't reach**

In the north, there is a place where the hills are many and large, the valley between them owning jungles that allowed no ground to be seen wherever you stood. The clouds dozed by lazily, almost brushing the surface of these hills as they passed like a thousand dandelion seeds carried by the wind. The sun had already reached its highest point, and was remaining there in a rather indecisive manner. The lull cast over this place was fixed, as strong as any midnight.

These hills however, were not ordinary by any meaning of the word. Every one of them was missing their peak, given instead a flat surface as if the summits themselves had been cut away. On these unnatural plateaus sat small communities surrounded by walls, occupying these hills and giving them purpose. There were around five of these little villages, all held on hills that were close together, suggesting a settlement that was too large for one place, or that had perhaps divided over time.

One of the quieter settlements closer to the south was a community filled with people of similar appearance. People with dark hair, a brown that was almost black, moved around in their dark clothes with clear destinations in mind. They were all slim in build, with pointed faces and narrow eyes that seemed almost passive to the less observant. But to those who paid closer attention, they would see though these seemed a destitute people, their bodies were in peak physical condition. A disagreement with those who lived here, would soon end in a quick departure for the stranger involved.

That wasn't such a worry however, if one didn't intend to cause any troubles. It was for that reason that this person could lay easy, resting in the branches of a tree inside the compound of this settlement. Utakata looked lazily around, undisturbed by the inhabitants who looked his way. Though he was an unfamiliar face, it seemed his features matched theirs enough that he could remain unbothered by those who really belonged. A fortunate thing, since the relaxing atmosphere here suited him well.

Unfortunately however his peace was not to last, as a young kimono clad girl ran over to the tree he rested in. Utakata couldn't help notice how this girl's eyes were the same as everyone else, making her look remarkably more mature than her actions would have him believe. "Oniisan, ojiisan says he'll see you now!" she called up, before turning around and running off now that her job was done. Utakata let out a smooth exhale, twirling his bubble blower in his fingers before sliding off the branch and heading towards his meeting.

He had left the temple just a day ago, in search of this place ahead. It hadn't been too difficult to find, such a place was hardly well hidden. When he arrived here, he was greeted well by the younger ones, believing him to be a member of the clan, while the older ones regarded him carefully. As he stepped into the home of one of the oldest residents of this place, he was prepared to be treated with great suspicion.

Reaching the room he knew to be his destination, he nodded gratefully to the two young women who waited outside for him. They slid the door open and bowed him into the room, a small place with little more than tatami mats, a table and a view of a nice garden. Utakata wasn't the only one here however, down by the table knelt and old man smoking a long and thin pipe. "I apologise for the intrusion." said the foreign nin, as he stood at the other side of the table.

The old man regarded Utakata for several moments, clearly taking in the boy's features and noticing what his daughters had been speaking of earlier. With a half hearted hand, he gestured for Utakata to take a seat, which the bubble nin did thankfully. The two knelt there in silence for quite a while, looking at each other indiscriminately. The old man was clearly the leader of this place, judging by his very shogunesque style clothing. Whether this was tradition, or signs of an ego as broad as the sleeves of his jacket wasn't quite clear at this time.

As was the etiquette, Utakata awaited the head of the household to be the first to speak. The scrutiny placed on him then, meant that it was quite a while before they set to talking. "From what my daughters tell me, you have a proposition for our clan that would be mutually beneficial." the old man said, speaking in no questions, but all the same looking for answers. A very bold manner, Utakata had to note. "But it is natural that I would doubt your words, since you are one so young. You appear to be representative of someone else, since I can see no other reason for sending such a fresh face."

Utakata politely bowed his head, showing the respect he felt the old man thought he deserved. He had yet to see reason if that was the case, but manners held their own reward after all. "I'm afraid you're mistaken there, the leader of my group is in fact one younger than I." he said, knowing this titbit would not work in his favour, but that hiding it would be even less helpful. "However, it is because of that that I feel our two groups can help one another."

The clan head took a long inhale on his pipe, releasing a slow cloud of smoke from his nostrils that seemed to turn his thick grey beard pastille for a moment. He closed his eyes and held his pipe aside, bowing his head in a sagely manner. "I see." he said, with a gruff, yet understanding tone. "Then it makes sense to believe that rather than manpower, it is experience that you are looking for. If that's the case, then you would have the power, or the finance to meet with what we can offer."

Utakata smiled back at the old chief, realising that what had first seemed as a wise tone was in fact overly presumptuous. That worked out quite favourably in some sense; that this man was really so prideful. "Actually, I'm afraid that's not quite right either." he said, drawing the old man's sharp eyes and knowing he wasn't pleasing this person in the slightest. "While experience can be useful, it _is_ the manpower we search for. The wisdom you can offer, while great I'm sure, is not what we need. All we require from you are the forces with which to give our side a proper standing, means to become a much more prominent force."

The old man stopped, his pipe halfway back to his mouth. Deciding against the inhale of nicotine he had been planning, he set his pipe aside on the table and leant forward with a clear frown on his wrinkled face. "Few ninja organisations seek to become "prominent"." he said, his hard eyes delving deep into Utakata's with an enquiry he hadn't bothered with before. "For you to seek such an end, that can only mean you have intentions that are currently far outside your station."

This time Utakata's grin was sincere; the man had finally gotten one right. And what was more, he was curious. Taking this fact into account, Utakata shifted from his knees to his rear, sitting with one arm draped over his crooked leg while the other supported his weight. "That's a pretty fair way of putting it, I'll have to say." he admitted, looking out into the garden peacefully. The sozuu in the pond made its sound, clanking to scare away any birds coming to roost. Though the company wasn't the best, the setting was certainly nice. "However, it does move to the point that benefits your clan."

The head of the household narrowed his already slim eyes, disliking Utakata's sudden change of demeanour. But the boy spoke in such a way, and acted along with it, that he couldn't rid himself of his own curiosity. That was why when Utakata looked him right in the eye, his attention couldn't help focusing to its highest. "The Hizuma clan was once pretty formidable in Kusagakure, back before the third great war." the Rokubi Jinchuuriki said, his smile becoming slightly crooked as he watched the clan chief's reaction. "But their slip up caused Iwa to gain a foothold, and even cost Kusa the Kannabi bridge. All that honour disappeared pretty quickly, didn't it?"

Not wanting to appear sinister, Utakata moved his attention away at this time. The clansman was silently grateful for this, for it allowed him to ease up on his rising tension a little. Had his clothes been mad of concrete, they would have surely shattered under the strength of his grip. "Shunned from Kusa, the Hizuma clan was forced to find a new place to call home." Utakata continued, in his quietly whimsical manner. "And there they found this place. A settlement consisting of small agricultural communities, with just enough money to hire the clan as guards. It's a nice living, but nothing compared to what the clan had back then, am I right?"

The head of the Hizuma clan let out a deep, heavy exhale as he regretfully accepted Utakata's words. It was true that his ancestors would condemn him for what their once noble family had become. Though he hated being spoken to in a manner, it looked like he no longer had place to be as pretentious as he had once possessed the right to. So with a reluctant manner, he raised his head and met his eyes with Utakata. "What… are your intentions?" he asked, making his very first question.

"Well, they're not really my intentions I have to say, but they are some interesting ones." Utakata began, taking on a more formal sitting position as business went underway. He felt like playing with the old man a little more, but knew that it would be better if he would just get on with things. "Yoinokuchi, or rather the leader of Yoinokuchi wants to create a hidden village that welcomes all ninja who were shunned from their homes. It will be a safe haven for some, and a means for becoming stronger in others. However, in your case, it would be a chance to finally give back what your clan had not so long ago."

The clan head scratched his beard and creased his brow, contemplating what he had just been told. This was far from the first time he had heard young people speak of grandiose dreams like that, many of those dreams he himself had shut down. "It seems you really are having thoughts far outside your station." he replied, crossing his arms with a deep and discriminating look. "Yet from what I hear, you lack finances, experience and manpower to be the slightest bit formidable. If anything, you sound like little more than a band of rogues trying to make a name for themselves. If you want our help, you'll need proof that you are worth-"

"OJIISAN!"

The old man and Utakata looked suddenly to the hall as they heard a crashing sound. The attending women in the hall cried out in shock as a short, shadowy form darted in front of the screen. Without waiting for invitation, the door was thrown open to reveal one of the younger Shinobi, Hizuma Chita, who was panting and puffing where he stood. "O… jii… san!" the boy gasped, his hand on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "I found a guy… who can get rid of the Mizuma!"

Utakata glanced at the clans head with a half frown, wondering just what this boy was getting at. The Mizuma was a second clan of Shinobi, residing just on the neighbouring hill. If what he heard was right, then the two clans were under a slight feud of territory, the right to protect the settlements on the other hills. But in cases like these, it was customary that the clans use only their own power to compete with each other, not borrowed power from wandering ninja. _"Looks like that pride is going to sink even-"_

"So where's this harem?"

The bubble nin froze, his ears pricking up and his skin fading a shade paler. His eyes locked onto the paper screens, watching as the form of a young man with spiky hair and a huge sword stepped on by. His horrified feeling was confirmed, as Uzumaki Naruto stepped into view, looking more relaxed than anyone else in the vicinity felt. This feeling of peace was soon to end however, as the two Jinchuuriki set eyes on each other. "EH?" Naruto exclaimed, as Utakata shot to his feet. With the taller boy's fist sinking into the blond one's stomach, it was simple to force his leader to his knees. "Eh…"

* * *

For nearly two days now, Gaara had remained in his own world. He wasn't the sort to do anything in small scale, and so was scouring the desert Kumogakure with near limitless vigilance. He was steadily coming up with an idea on the best moves to make, but his time was running short. His energy consumption was greater than most, since he never slept, and so he was moving close to the point that would be much too difficult to continue.

He walked through one of the many high buildings, several unusual mounds of sand left behind him. His hand was tensed more so than usual, highlighting the stress he was feeling here. Another con to remaining in this world for too long was that certain elements grew smarter the more they learned about him. It had gotten to the point where he was being attacked in waves, and progress was almost zero.

It was of little concern to him then, when he heard a distant door open and felt a breeze that shouldn't exist in this climateless place. His eyes opened to see the silhouette of a girl in the light from beyond. With all the gathered candles burnt out, only the small flame from the lantern this girl carried told him that it was Rei who interrupted him. "Sorry for intruding." she softly said, stepping inside while carefully avoiding the candles. Gaara watched her silently as she carried in a tray bearing something that steamed. "I thought you could use something to eat, since you've been down here for so long."

Gaara followed the tray with his eyes as Rei set it down, realising what she was giving him was a bowl of golden coloured soup and a small loaf of bread. The soup smelled delicious, though anything other than the mustiness of this room was most welcome. "Back then… years ago…" Rei began, forcing a smile onto her uneasy face. "You and Naruto-san did something like this for me, right?"

The red haired nin stopped with his hand halfway to the bread, his attention sharply turning back to Rei. His eyes were locked onto hers as she placed the lantern down for him to see, revealing the suspicion set into his expression. "You shouldn't be thinking about that time." he said, as he picked the loaf up and tore it in half. He dipped one of those halves into the soup, allowing the bread to absorb the juices, before raising it to his lips. "It's dangerous."

Rei nodded with a sad smile, recalling the time when Gaara had told her the same, but not in such nice terms. In truth, she was still nervous about being around this cold blooded person, but right now she couldn't help it. "I remember what you told me, and I won't say anything." she replied, crouching down and resting her chin on her folded arms. "It's just that touchan has been asking me about what happened during that time… and I don't know what to tell him."

Gaara chewed his soup stained bread lightly, studying the face of the girl kind enough to bring him this meal. He could see well that for a long time, her eyes had been similar to his. But where he had sought to cling to his existence, she had been almost desperate to give it away. That had been his understanding, at the very least. Putting his bread aside, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, feeling slightly displeased that this was turning into a conversation. "It won't be good for anyone if you carry the burden of that time." he said, opening his eyes again to look deep into Rei's. "When you speak to Han about that time, say nothing of Naruto, myself, or any missions Kirai took on. Unless I am mistaken, those details would mean less to him, compared to what you went through in any case."

As a clear indicator that he felt nothing more was to be said, he continued on eating without giving Rei time to respond. The girl with the icy eyes looked at Gaara in surprise, his unexpected leniency catching her off guard. Knowing she shouldn't disturb him any further, she rose to her feet and gave a slight bow, before turning away and leaving the room. Gaara lifted his eyes to the closed door, and realised that it had probably been best that he stopped at that. But then he paid it no more thought, and went on with his meal silently.

"Who's Kirai?"

Gaara tensed, dropping his bread back onto the tray. Slowly he turned his head behind him, casting a murderous gaze upon the person who had snuck up on him. Fuu was crouched just a metre away, her chin resting in her cupped hands as she gave Gaara a questioning smile. Fortunately for her, the lack of lighting masked the look she was given, and she wasn't that good at detecting killer intent. "Yagura-kun told me to practice my stealth Jutsu." she said, explaining her presence without having to be asked. Or rather, even though she _wasn't_ asked. "I figured you'd be the easiest to sneak up on. And I was right!"

Fuu had made several mistakes there. The first was disturbing Gaara while he was busy, something she had been told not to do. The second was _sneaking up _on Gaara, something _no one_ would do. Third went for being a nuisance while he was eating, and fourth was for insulting his capabilities. These all gathered together to make for a very grumpy Gaara. It wasn't until Fuu heard the sand rising behind her, that she too learned that she had made a grievous error.

* * *

Utakata and Naruto both knelt before the Hizuma clan head, staring at the old man in shock. A lady attendant appeared from the still open hall door, carrying with her a tray of tea and three cups. While she set to providing everyone with drinks, the males in the room remained forcefully silent. But when the lady left, it was Utakata who broke the silence, before Naruto could do so in a louder tone. "Could you repeat that?" he asked, leaning forward just a little as he awaited the old man's reply.

The Hizuma gave a nod that seemed to take forever to pass, unbeknown that he was antagonising the less patient "guest" beside the one who had actually been allowed in. "When the Hizuma clan was thrown from Kusa, our banishment was not just." he said, the tightening of his jaw and his closed eyes showing signs of stress. "The fault lied not with the entire clan, but with one member in particular. Hizuma Saihen is the one who cost our village the Kannabi bridge. And what is more, he conspired to turn the clan against the main household once we had been banished!"

By the looks on the two boy's faces, he could see this information was outside the scope of their knowledge. Though this was unsurprising, he himself had worked hard to keep the treason of his fellow clansman from becoming common knowledge. "For these past few years, our clans have been warring under the guise of protecting these farmlands." he continued, sitting back with his back as straight as his age would allow. "In actual fact, we stand to gain little from this place. Our true goal lies not in the murder of our clan, but bringing that man to justice. If you can help us with this, then you will have your alliance."

Utakata folded his arms, the slight glint from before sneaking into his eyes. It seemed that nobility wasn't this clan's goal after all, but simply vengeance. That was good, since it was something that could work in their favour. "Yo, so these are the guys you were talking about?" Naruto asked, giving a slight tug to Utakata's sleeve. When the dark haired boy gave a nod in reply, Naruto met it with a more vigorous one. "Yosh! Hey ojiisan, so what's this guy look like?"

The old Hizuma frowned as Naruto got to his feet, stretching his arms high and wide. The blond boy then made his way to the garden, while Utakata rose up to follow him. Where he had thought he would convince these two to do a dangerous mission, it seemed this boy was actually offering his services. With a hasty snap of his fingers, he gave an order to one of his daughters, sending him to collect a photograph. Meanwhile he joined Naruto and Utakata in his garden, checking to make sure he had gotten it right.

"As a member of the Hizuma clan that Saihen is a proficient user of Katon and barrier Jutsu." he said, half wondering why he was alerting Naruto of this. As his daughter reappeared by his side with a picture in hand, Naruto beat him in taking it and studied it thoroughly, before handing it back to the attendant with a word of thanks. "It will take more than the two of you to defeat him and the forces that guard him."

Ignoring the old man, Naruto leapt up onto the wall of the garden and gripped the hilt of the Ekokaeten. Looking over for the hill designated to the Mizuma clan, he quickly found it and glanced back at Utakata. "Hey, think you can give me a foothold?" he asked, with a half expectant look. Utakata smirked in reply, procuring his bubble blower and solution. In seconds, the air was filled with large bubbles that drifted lazily towards the Mizuma hill. "Thanks, you wanna take care of things over here?"

Utakata waved as Naruto leapt up, using the bubbles as stepping stones to make his way over to Mizuma hill. When his leader was out of sight, he then turned around to face the clan head with his peaceful smile once again. The Hizuma clan leader was still looking to where Naruto had been, his attention only returning to his guest when said person slipped his hands into his sleeves. "Now, at the moment we don't possess the means to support your entire clan." the rather impertinent ninja said, without awaiting results from his hyperactive comrade. "So what we'll do is take twelve of your most hot blooded young Shinobi. As long as they have skill of course."

The old man was at a loss for words, suddenly unsure if Utakata was arrogant or knew something he clearly didn't. He maintained himself however; the only thing that had impressed him so far was this boy's resourcefulness and that other boy's strength. "My most hot blooded young Shinobi..." he repeated slowly, with a furrowed brow. This guest of his was getting stranger and stranger by the minute. Asking for such basic things, making big promises, and then acting as if he could fulfil them, all for the promise of the least ninja like Shinobi he possessed? "With this war, there are a fair number of those. But they will definitely not accept leaving until they have seen Saihen's head roll. They desire that perhaps more than I-"

"YO, UTAKATA!"

Utakata raised his hand, begging a moment of interruption from the clan head. He turned around and hopped up onto the wall, looking far out to the distance. There he could see a tiny Naruto, standing on a wall with a large broken segment not far from him. The blond boy raised his hand, revealing a man he held by the collar. "IS THIS THE GUY?" he asked, his voice distant and just barely decipherable with his already harsh voice.

Utakata began to squint to see who it was, but found out it was unnecessary. Not too far beside him, one of the old man's daughters had hopped up to the wall just as neatly as he had himself, procuring a telescope from the folds of her flowing kimono. Looking through the glass, she focused her sight on the yelling boy up ahead. With a gasp and a nod, she confirmed Utakata's thoughts. "YEAH, THAT'S HIM!" the bubble nin yelled back, his hands placed on either side of his face.

Down below, the old man was staring up with a look almost of terror. His ears were surely betraying him; it had not been two minutes since that boy had left! "This couldn't possibly be so!" he breathed, before wincing in shock. For four long years his clan had fought against the Mizuma with absolutely no progress. But then, an enemy who employed the exact same methods was hardly a good match up. Before the old man could move to investigate further, he flinched at the sound of an explosion.

"AaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

The head of the clan and all his daughters froze in shock as just a few metres to his right, dust and dirt erupted. Naruto had somehow crossed that insane gap in a single leap, with his prisoner close in tow. Even Utakata was faintly impressed, as he turned around and dropped from the wall. _"Looks like his Fuuton Jutsu has reached an incredible level." _he thought to himself, as he approached his leader and the half conscious Saihen. From the look of the wavy brown hair and the weasely features, this was the very same guy as in the picture he had gained a fleeting look at. He turned attention back to his host with an even wider smile, sure this level of work had done the trick. "We'll take those ninja as soon as you're done with this person."

All of the Hizuma gathered around stared in shock at Hizuma Saihen, who lay in a broken and bloody pulp on the ground. Barely anyone noticed as Naruto and Utakata stepped through the hall, quietly bumping fists as they departed the household for the time being. As they silently made their leave, the head of household and each of his daughters convened on Saihen, not one among them wearing the slightest look of mercy.

* * *

It wasn't until two days later, given time for a public execution and more for the chosen ninja to pack up, but eventually Naruto and Utakata made their leisurely way back towards the place they called home, with fourteen ninja following them from behind. As requested, the ninja were all young, roughly Naruto's age with some older and younger. The group consisted of mostly Shinobi, with about four rather merciless Kunoichi amongst them. Neither of the Yoinokuchi members had made time to learn names yet, as none of these Hizuma members even knew why they were being so suddenly deported. But one thing had to be said; they certainly _were_ a hot blooded bunch.

Once more Naruto looked over his shoulder, noticing that in a village full of narrow eyed and suspicion filled people, this group was all either wide eyed or lazy eyed. Though they all had their visual similarities, Naruto could notice the differences better than most. The auras these people exuded weren't too impressive, but at the same time they weren't exactly civilian level either. What made him keen on them though were not their appearances, or abilities, but that there wasn't a single soul amongst them that seemed the least bit soft. This was most definitely going to be a fun-

Naruto suddenly stopped, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping. The procession behind, including Utakata, came to a stop with him and looked on curiously. The blond leader remained still for several long seconds, before suddenly throwing his hands to his head and opening his mouth wide to the sky. "GA-AGH!" he cried out, voicing his displeasure loud and clear. "DAMN IT, I FORGOT ABOUT THE HAREM!"

Amidst the mutterings coming from behind, Utakata noticed a sudden decline in morale. To exclaim such a perverted thing, at such an unsuitable time, was beyond even what he had expected from this person. "Uh… Naruto?" he asked, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder to get his attention. "Are you saying you came all this way… because of a _harem?_"

Naruto's hands dropped to his side, and he looked over his shoulder with obvious despair. This took the effect even further; Utakata had never known Naruto to really have such tendencies. "Well yeah…" the blond boy replied, as tears streamed down his closed eyes. Then, without warning, he grabbed Utakata by the shoulder, before announcing. "How was I supposed to turn down the promise of free food?"

The group suddenly adopted an eerie silence, all eyes that were on Naruto suddenly narrowing in confusion. Utakata was no exception to this, as he for a moment was taken aback by the next link in this peculiar development. "Naruto…" he asked, his brow slowly creasing as a light in his head began to faintly shine. "What do you think a harem is?"

Naruto blinked at Utakata, his expression matching that of everyone else in the vicinity. He let go of his fellow Jinchuuriki and gripped his chin with one hand, suddenly getting the feeling he had gotten something quite wrong. "Well… from the pictures I've seen." he began, before raising his hand in a somewhat informative and intellectual manner. "It's a place where lots of waitresses bring you food and stuff, right?"

If he had expected a quick answer, he was in for disappointment. What he got instead was an odd visual effect of what may happen if gravity increased tenfold. Every single person around him had fallen flat on their faces, while he himself remained perfectly fine. Looking around the masses, his eyes narrowed confusedly, and his jaw jutted in an offended way. _"Well you don't have to go _that_ far." _he thought, as he felt sure he was being made fun of.


	11. Why do the clouds sing so sombre

I'm still having difficulty figuring out what the pace of this story will be. The important events that define the way the plot moves... how should I play them out? Great, now I'm thinking in the same manner as my characters, making the explanation before posing the question. Urgh, and there's another pattern of my writing I have just realised. Well, I'll accept that pattern since I don't think it's major, and only those who think deeply would really use it. Still, when you discover a tick of yours, you either notice it every time or do your best to stop it, right?

Disclaimer: Well that wasn't too bad a way to end the latest manga chapter, was it? Though was it just me or did Kishi put a lot of ironic moments in these last few chapters?

* * *

**Why do the clouds sing so sombre?**

It was surprising to see just how lively the temple had become since the arrival of the new forces. What had once been an eerie and desolate place was now filled with voices and movement as the young Shinobi set to work. The Hizuma ninja were given an entire sector to call their own, and were fast in the process of making it so. Bedding that had been acquired earlier that day was being distributed amongst each person, along with food bowls, cups, many slight things to claim for themselves. Naruto and Yagura watched the rapid procession from midway up the temple stairs, the former feeling a slight sense of pride as he looked at the first clan to belong to his village.

The Hizuma were given their orders from Han, though it was Yagura who reinforced them. It must have been instinct from years as the Mizukage somehow coming in place of memories. Despite his lacking past, he was doing an excellent job of maintaining order of this group of, it had to be said, impetuous grunts. Though it took little to explain what they needed to do, the amount of effort they put in far outcast what was necessary, resulting in wasted energy. To tell the truth, Yagura was starting to get a headache dealing with these ever questioning simpletons.

Of course, there was the king of the simpletons standing beside him, doing nothing worthwhile and only troubling Yagura with his presence. Naruto had his hands behind his head and a rather complacent expression, while Yagura was counting down the seconds until his leader said something pointless. "Y'know, our village is gonna need a name." Naruto mused, proving Yagura's point perfectly. The two boys looked at each other from the corners of their eyes; only one thinking that what was being said mattered. "I was thinking, since we're like the dregs of society, and we're becoming something great, that Kaijingakure was pretty cool."

Yagura turned his head a little, taking a moment to realise what Naruto was getting at. The village hidden in the ash made no sense, considering the location. So then that must have been a phoenix reference in that case. "Since Ta no Kuni is pretty much all fields, isn't Noharagakure fine?" he asked in reply, before looking again at the ninja below. "Besides, it's too early to be thinking of things like that. We haven't even gotten the Daimyo's ok yet."

A deep sigh told the ex-Kiri nin that Naruto wasn't happy about that, and grumbles of boring names gave him the full idea as to why. But his attention to this was waning, as one of the Hizuma nin ascended the stairs at a fast rate. This was the eldest of the fourteen Shinobi, a boy by the name of Hizuma Suzuki. He acted as the link between Yoinokuchi and the Hizuma, becoming a clan head of sorts. However in terms of maturity, his hair was just as scruffy as all the other boys and his eyes still possessing a great deal of recklessness. Even by the tunic he wore, this was clearly a boy who didn't delight in doing little. "Excuse me, Yagura-sama, but the girls were asking if there were any facilities nearby?" he asked, when he was just a few steps below.

Yagura gave a nod in reply, before slipping a hand from his folded arms and pointing somewhere far off to his right. "Out there, about half a mile away you'll find a spring." he said, remembering how thrilled Fuu had been when she discovered that little place by a complete turn of luck. "The water's cold, but it's clean. There's not a lot of room either, so if you want to come up with a schedule, that may prevent some arguments later down the line."

Suzuki gave a quick nod, before running back down to pass the news onto the few awaiting ninja down below. Yagura and Naruto both watched the scene below for just a couple of minutes longer, before the straw haired boy tapped his leader on the arm and turned around. Together they climbed the stairs, heading back to the main chamber where everyone else was.

Inside the tall room, the rest of Yoinokuchi was getting ready to depart. Fuu was slipping on a large red rucksack, the contents of which not even Yagura knew, before doing a few practice squats to make sure she had her balance right. Though Gaara was almost never without his gourd, he too was taking care of some preparations in the form of marking points on what looked like an old map. The only other person standing was Utakata, but since he wasn't going anywhere, he hadn't even his clawed weapon, the tekagi-shuko, on him. That soon left three people who were in no real hurry to do anything.

On the left side however, was a different story entirely. Rei and Han occupied that side, the former helping her father into strange armour that resembled the carapace of a blood coloured beetle. The body armour was like nothing a Shinobi would wear; large, heavy and shiny. The odd mushroom shaped machine on his back hissed out a thin vapour, and a broad kasa with a white veil sat on his head. Right now, Fuu was putting in place the final piece of the armour; a curved faceplate that left Han's already obscured face even less human. His features were almost impossible to see now that he had that shade cast across his face. But all the same, he looked into his daughter's eyes, his hands gripping her shoulders.

In spite of the heavy airs, Naruto was the only person not sharing in the tension. In fact, he didn't slow for a second as he headed over to the stone table, placing his hands down and groaning out loud. "Damn it, I wanna be there for this!" he whined, his eyes screwing up and his face pouting unattractively. Nothing had managed to satisfy the disappointment he felt when he had learned that he would be taking no part in locating the Hachibi Jinchuuriki. "Why the hell am I being left out of the fun?"

His loud nature soon drew the attention of everyone in the room, though few were in any hurry to give him an answer. As usual it was Gaara who took on that role, being the person most capable of handling Naruto since they had parted ways with their sensei. "We're not going to be locating _anyone_." he replied, without straightening up from his map. "For Kumo to find out about Fuu, we'll need to spread rumour. Just showing up on the doorstep will do no good."

The collective nods didn't help Naruto's ego, instead he grumbled some more to himself. It was Yagura who brought him out of his childish rut, tapping him on the arm again as he passed. "Besides, you're needed elsewhere." the shortest Jinchuuriki said, as he turned around and leant on the tabletop. "The Daimyo won't be as welcoming as the Hizuma clan. Showing up with anyone less than the leader will get us nowhere. You're coming with me; together we'll prove to him that Yoinokuchi can do a much better job than the stragglers of Otogakure."

He couldn't be sure, but there was something about the way Yagura said that that somehow excited Naruto a little. Though it was nothing compared to finding the next Jinchuuriki, he liked the way that was put. "Sounds like fun." he said, straightening up with a faint smirk on his lips. He looked up to the ceiling and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, before looking at Yagura again with a single open eye. "So… we gonna attack the Daimyo, or wipe out the guys guarding his country?"

Yagura let out an inward chuckle, smirking himself as he bowed his head. Behind him, Gaara and Utakata were watching Naruto silently, curious to see just what was about to happen. "That's up to you, _leader-sama._" Yagura replied, looking up at Naruto in a way cockier than he would in any other situation. "But before you make any decisions, you ought to take a few things into account. First of all, any ninja still working under Oto's name will be pretty much going blind. They'll be easy to take out, since they won't know what to do without a leader. Also since they're so disorganised, the Daimyo probably wouldn't even know his guards had been taken down until things start going crazy. It's a great opportunity… so what do you want to do?"

Even though he didn't notice, all eyes had fallen upon Naruto's face. Everyone was watching him, Rei and Fuu being the only ones not full comprehending the situation. Of course, Naruto was included in that list, but his mind was full of what Yagura had just told him. He turned away from the others, placing his hands on his waist as he thought deeply to himself. It was several long seconds, even after Naruto looked over his shoulder, he didn't look completely decided. "So then… if I'm getting this right…" he said, his eyes focused on the ground even though his head was turned towards his comrades. It was Yagura he settled his gaze on, still unaware of the others watching him. "If we can take in those Oto ninja, get them to join our group, then we'd be taking over Ta no Kuni without the Daimyo having anything to do with it?"

He blinked in surprise, as for some strange reason he witnessed a room full of people suddenly relaxing. It was a little bewildering, to be honest. What was even more bewildering however, was the cocky smile Yagura wore as he stepped back around to Naruto's side, patting the taller boy on the back. "No point wasting good ninja, right?" he asked, as Gaara, Fuu and Han began to make their way to the main entrance. Fuu and Han waved to their respective favourite people, receiving the same gesture back, while Gaara left without a word. "We'll take it a base at a time, back each other up, and be done in about a week by my guess. Think you're up for it?"

Naruto laughed in reply, getting the odd feeling that he had just passed a test of sorts. As Utakata led Rei out of the room to give these two time to prepare, Yagura searched deep into his pockets. "Oh yeah, we noticed you were missing a little something." he said, as he looked into his pouch behind him. He seemed to find what he was looking for, judging by the grin that appeared on his face. "Can't have you going around without this right?"

He lifted his hand from his pouch, procuring a round medallion on a thin silver chain. The medallion was of a black moon, marked with grey streaks. This was the symbol that represented Yoinokuchi, the emblem that was the face of the group. Naruto had lost his back in the former Uzu no Kuni, when Jiraiya tricked him and took him to Konoha. A broad grin grew onto Naruto's lips then, and without hesitation he accepted the amulet and slipped it onto his neck. Yagura smirked at his keenness; it looked like Naruto still had quite some pride inside of him. In all honesty, it was that sort of pride that they really needed.

* * *

It was really worrisome, how noisy things had gotten. From nowhere Naruto and Utakata had come marching back in with an entire gang of Shinobi following them close behind. And what was more, those Shinobi had barely settled in before half of Yoinokuchi suddenly left. Things were moving frightfully fast; Hinata was beginning to grow worried that Yoinokuchi's goal wasn't as farfetched as she had recently convinced herself.

She ascended the stairs towards the main temple, in the hope she would find a quiet place to begin writing her report. It felt a little strange, clutching the ink pot, pen and scroll that she had been given for the purpose of telling Konoha what was going on here. Her troubles grew even further, as Sakura had suddenly been tasked with giving physicals to all the new ninja that had arrived. For a short moment, Hinata mistakenly thought that their captors were working to keep the Konoha Kunoichi apart. This was falsified only by the fact that no active measures had been taken to limit Hinata or Sakura's movements. Aside from the workload given to them, they were given free roam of the place.

Nearly reaching the top of the stairs, Hinata peeked into the room to see if it was occupied. At first the place looked empty, but a couple of steps later told her otherwise. Naruto was taking a rest on the altar in the middle of the room, his hands behind his head and his eyes on the ceiling. Hinata second guessed her decision for a moment, but when she made to turn around she got noticed by the very person inside. "Hey Hinata-chan, you got a minute?" he asked, watching her with a blank expression.

Hinata stopped her descent just before it started, cringing slightly at the term he called her by. It was clear there were no feelings of familiarity in them; they seemed more mocking than friendly. But she couldn't be certain if he was really making an offer or giving an order, so reluctantly she turned back around and climbed the rest of the way up. "Do you need something?" she asked, hoping to keep this as short as possible. No matter how Naruto looked at her, she couldn't comfortably make eye contact with him. Naruto made this easier by turning his gaze back up to the ceiling once again.

"You can't guess?" he asked, in a half expectant tone. Hinata glanced up at him as she placed the objects in her arms down on the stone table. There really wasn't anything definite she could think of, nothing that could be suggested by the overly relaxed stance Naruto had on right now. Taking her silence as an answer, Naruto decided it best to speak on. "I already told you didn't I? I'm looking for Hyuuga Neji. I was wondering if you could tell me something about him, since he's your cousin and all."

Hinata's gaze faded for a moment, her eyes slipping out of focus. Naruto looked over to her with a raised brow, noticing she seemed to be out in her own little world. But by the tightening of the grip she had on the table, and the way her eyes narrowed slightly, it was obvious to him that she wasn't recalling a fond memory. Growing curious, he slid himself up to a seated position, grabbing the Ekokaeten from the floor and using it as a support.

It took her a while to respond, collecting whatever thoughts that were held behind those indistinct eyes of hers. And when she did speak, it was in a tone free of things like ease and nostalgia. "Neji-nii-… Neji-san was a cold person, he always looked down on others for having things like dreams." she said, managing to catch Naruto's undivided attention with her manner of speaking. "He disliked thinking that things could change, because it meant that things could have gone differently as well. He preferred to think that everything that happened was fate, and I suppose that became a sort of crutch for him."

She bowed her head, recalling a time that had brought her much physical and emotional pain. Barely a thought went to the person she was opening up to, for some incomprehensible reason her anxiety of Naruto didn't apply right now. Perhaps it was because they both had similar feelings towards Hyuuga Neji, and so she was sure he would agree with whatever she said about that person. Too many people had thought too little of what Neji did for her liking; it was a hard thing to bear.

"He's a genius, and he doesn't care about other people, that's why he's such a strong Shinobi." she continued, rubbing her hands together uncomfortably. Her words made some sense, Neji certainly seemed like that kind of person from Naruto's past experiences. Cold, calculating, and probably worst of all, an arrogant prick. It was for those reasons that Naruto had no objection to his sensei's order to kill that person. Though from what he was hearing, perhaps he wasn't the only one with ill will towards that guy. "I don't know how he did it, but he broke the seal that was supposed to keep the branch families loyal to the main household. He became so much stronger than he should ever have been able to… and he… blinded… otousama."

It was these words that caused Naruto's focus to sharpen. He didn't really care about everything else Hinata had said, dubbing it as pointless babble that made no difference. But from what Kisame had told him about the Hyuuga, and the little understanding he already had, Hinata's father was the head of the Hyuuga clan. That made him the keeper of all the Hyuuga's secret techniques, by any logical sense the strongest of the Hyuuga. _"No way that Neji guy beat him in a fight."_ he told himself, remembering the way his bitter rival fought at that valley four years ago. _"It's gotta be those eyes…"_

"Hey, tell me about that doujutsu of his." he said, placing Eko aside and resting his arms on his knees. He remembered the first time he had fought Neji; the Hyuuga had used a move called the Byakugan that allowed him to see everything in radius to him. Stealth techniques had been next to impossible at that time. But then the next time the two of them fought, he had attained a new level to that Byakugan, one that shone a strong light from his eyes and let him do all kinds of strange tricks. "What's the "Genwaku Byakugan"?"

Hinata came out from her distant look, her pale eyes turning curiously to Naruto's. A frown slipped onto her face as she said the name of that ability in her head over and over again. "The… Genwaku Byakugan?" she repeated aloud, searching Naruto's face for clues as to what he was trying to say. "I… don't know of any technique like that. But only otousama had access to the Hyuuga secret scrolls. Then… but Neji _did_ manage to learn some of those-"

Before she could finish, her and Naruto's attention was drawn away by the sound of approaching footsteps. From the front entrance appeared Yagura, who carried on his back a large black staff with alternately sized hooks and a large flower with green petals. "Come on, it's time to go." he said, without giving even a fleeting glance to Hinata. "I want to get back as soon as possible, so let's do this as quickly as we can alright?"

Naruto rose to his feet, swinging the Ekokaeten onto his back with the greatest of ease. He vaulted over the altar and slid across the stone table, joining Yagura as they began to depart for Ta no Kuni. "Talk to you later Hinata-chan!" he called out, looking at the girl with a crooked grin. He left her to her worried thoughts, and descended without the slightest further thought to it. However, there was one other thing he was curious about, something he hoped the boy beside him could help him with. "Hey, how do you find someone that isn't attached to any place?"

Yagura looked at Naruto with a cocked brow, possibly confusing who his leader was thinking of with the so far location less Roushi. He gave it some thought for a moment, looking off to the quickly distancing sky. "Well… you'd have to know _something_ defining about them I guess." he replied, in a tone that was full of speculation. He paused for a moment more to think, his hands slipping into his pockets as he grew a distant expression. "Where they lived… who they knew… their intentions… anyone they may be with… lots of little things that only have a chance of being useful to you."

That was exactly the sort of thing Naruto didn't want to hear. He knew well where Neji came from, and who he knew to an extent, but the intentions were definitely beyond him. However, as his brow creased her realised there _was_ something that could be useful. _"Uchiha Sasuke was looking for Uchiha Itachi."_ he thought, as he and Yagura reached the ground and left the temple behind. _"It didn't sound like he was looking for a friendly reunion… and Kisame-sensei said something about Itachi having business and that he was probably dead… so then… that means."_

From one of the buildings off to the right, one of the Hizuma Kunoichi peered out of an open door. She had a troubled look on her face; she didn't know what to do with the boxes of supplies she had been told to move. But seeing Naruto and Yagura passing by, she felt relief as she found someone she could ask. Running out, she made her way over to them, but just as she drew near she was met with a shocking performance. "AAAARGH!" Naruto yelled, grabbing his head and throwing his mouth to the sky. The girl skidded to a halt, letting out a terrified cry before turning heel and running off. Her voice drew the startled looks of Yagura and Naruto, who wondered why there was a young girl running from them.

* * *

A sound rang out, like scattered stones falling to the rocks. A bone lying on the dusty ground had been stepped on, shattering into fragments of yellow wood. The brittle land was marked with many of these forgotten relics, biological tombstones commemorating creatures of insane form and proportion. Immense ribs made the trees of this place, and brittle digits were the grass. The air was filled with a dry smell, and the wind howled foully through.

The one responsible for disrupting this abysmal resting place, was a young man dressed like some sort of priest. He wore a white shirt with one sleeve far surpassing necessity, the other not existing at all. In place of that sleeve, his entire arm was wrapped in bandages. That shirt tailed down to his ankles, covering the back of his black pants. Judging by the signs of dirt on his sandals, it had been a while since he had the opportunity to clean them.

He raised his bandaged hand, lightly brushing a strand of brown hair from his eyes. Most of that hair was tied back in a long ponytail, but there were a few threads of them still hanging down his forehead. Those strands served to frame a black marking in the centre, that of three tomoe chasing each others' tail. His eyes had no pupil, and only the vaguest hint of colour. This person was a Hyuuga, Hyuuga Neji, to be exact.

Stepping through the dust covered basin, he made his way towards the skeleton of what looked like a colossal elephant. There he could see two other figures, both of whom wore the same black cloaks adorned with red clouds. One of them was one he was not familiar with, someone whose head was obscured by giant jagged leaves that seemed like gaping jaws. The other was more familiar to him however, a man with loose red hair and a swirled orange mask that his all but his right eye.

As Neji approached, the first man disappeared, slipping into the ground like a spectre taking its leave. With that little meeting now over, he saw chance to have his own little talk while the opportunity was present. "You wouldn't have happened to see where Sasuke-kun went, did you?" he asked, coming to a stop and placing a hand to his hip. The man above looked down at him, witnessing his ever present smirk without the slightest sign of caring. "I'm a little worried he may have gone running off to Konoha; that would be quite a bother."

"I'm sure you think so." the man above replied, hopping down from the huge rib and landing almost upright on the ground below. Despite the attitudes these two people had, neither was impressed by the other. It was an unusual relationship, one based on the desire to know just what the other person's intentions really were. "Well there is no need to worry. I have sent him on a little errand to keep him occupied for now. Though I am rather curious about what the results will be."

Neji cocked a brow, watching as the enigmatic man walked on past him. Once more he was surprised at just how influential this person was, to be able to so easily send someone as reclusive as Uchiha Sasuke on a mission that he probably didn't care all that much about in the first place. But then again, if anyone had the ability to use Sasuke as the dog he was, this man was probably that very person.

"However, there is something else I am rather curious about." said the man in the orange mask, as he turned around to look at Neji once more. The Hyuuga boy flicked his brow up suggestively, welcoming whatever question this man wanted to pose to him. The man went on, regardless of Neji's reaction, though perhaps enforced by it. "In truth, Sasuke was the only one I had any interest in. The reading on the tablet aside, there isn't much I need from you. And at the same time, these past four months have gone by with little to no actions taken on your part. So pray tell, why exactly are you here?"

The two of them were a secretive pair, not ones to want to give away more than was needed of them. As such, there was zero trust to be shared between them, and just as much want for such a thing from the other. Neji however wasn't foolish enough to forget his place, and so decided that giving away a little information would be beneficial to him. "You recall the reading on that stone tablet, correct?" he asked, but like with the man he cared not for a response. "Well, that time only enforced what I already desired. It is by complete chance that one of your subordinates possesses something I take great interest in. A necklace."

The man in the orange mask lifted his head slightly, revealing an eye with a red iris and three black tomoe circling the pupil. With this eye he studied Neji's, who knew full well what was happening right now. But he made absolutely no effort to stop or hinder it, and in fact allowed the search to continue. When the man in the orange mask concluded his search, he bowed his head and hid his eye from view. "The Yasakani no Magatama." he murmured, darkness mingling with the shadows in his voice. "Orochimaru… Itachi… so you are collecting those three items then?"

Neji let out a low, inward chuckle, appreciating the intelligence of this man to great extent. Leisurely he lifted his left arm, casting it out across his chest and looking over the broad sleeve in an almost loving manner. "It's really curious, isn't it?" he asked, his tone as bemused as his expression. He paid the masked man little notice as he looked through his sleeve, knowing what was there more than that man did. "The inheritance of the Rikudou Sennin, the three sacred treasures. I had thought that it was my own desire to seek those items, yet once again it appears it was my fate to do so. Ironic, don't you agree?"

He lifted his eyes to look at the masked man, interested to see that person's reaction. Of course, that was hardly a simple task considering that this person was masked, but Neji prided himself in judging by other such factors. The man glanced off to his right for a moment, before turning his eye back to Neji with seemingly no change at all. "Ironic… perhaps more unfortunate." that man said, his red eye, the Sharingan, glinting slightly in the darkness. "If only you had asked that person four years ago, then perhaps it would be in your possession. Unfortunately though if that is what you desire, you will have to wait a while. That item will not be parted from him at this time."

With that he turned away, heading towards a cave at the side of the basin. Neji however wasn't willing to let things end in such a manner, preferring to make the scales quiver, rather than leave them on one side. "Although, it's no wonder you are moving so slowly." he said, causing the masked man to stop long enough to hear what he had to say. "After all, if you over exert yourself, you might just lose that body to its owner."

The man in the orange mask turned suddenly around, his Sharingan eye leering at Neji and losing its composure. The look of satisfaction on Neji's face only added to the anger felt by that person, fuelling his urge to erase that smirk from the conceited boy's face. But before he could utter a word, or make the slightest movement, both his and Neji's attention was torn from them, as an obstacle suddenly whirled into existence.

Before their very eyes, a dark aura rose from the ground like water flowing from a tap. That aura pooled in one place, growing quickly in a pillar that stood between the two ninja and disallowed any sight of the other person. This mass then began to spin rapidly, steaming as if intense flames burned inside of it. The steam gave way to a different form, and within moments, there stood the lady of the shadows, the woman draped in darkness. That woman with no eyes looked between Neji and the masked man, her limitless smile arcing across her face in a cold and deceitful manner. "You children are being much too slow…" she said, her voice almost singsong like as she spoke without restriction. She raised her hands to either side, casting her fingers out in an almost seductive manner. "Why don't I make you a little more playful?"

Before either of them could anticipate it, the two men were caught in that woman's spell. Both stood deadly still, their consciousness taken from them by the lady's charm. Now that they were in place, smoke slid from the woman's hands, making its slow way towards their targets. "Now that the Nehangan has awakened, I have my four children." she said, as the smoke wafted into the nostrils of Neji and under the mask of the other man. It was that man to whom the woman turned her eyes, her smile suddenly reversing as she gave a sickened look. "But _you_ dirty old man… why won't you die already?"

With her deed done, the lady sank back into the earth as quickly as she had arrived. Merely moments after she was gone, light snapped back into the eyes of Neji and that masked man, both of whom seemed slightly surprised by their lapse of concentration. They looked at each other with confused eyes, wondering what on earth they had just been doing. With no possible answer, the two turned from each other and departed, oblivious to what their bodies had gone through.


	12. Sounds that shake the foundations of

Urgh... sometimes I'll get a chapter like this, one that I have no idea how to start and then at the end I have no idea how to finish. Still, at nearly 6000 words are you going to complain? Another thing that comes with chapters that take as long as this to get out is that I don't know what to say when they're done. For the first time in a long time (if ever) I deleted an entire section and started again. I'm not usually the kind to second guess myself, so you can see that I must have been putting a lot of effort in. Here's hoping that effort is repaid!

Disclaimer: In case some of you still haven't realised, the Nehangan the lady of the shadows referred to in last chapter is Naruto's eyes. As for what she said to Pein... well I'll be really disappointed if you haven't worked that part out by now.

* * *

**Sounds that shake the foundations of my soul**

Water dripped from the descending spire, mixing with the pool and casting ripples across the surface. This sound echoed in every direction, making much greater impact than the light which didn't exist. This cave, which seemed to have no way in or out, was as lifeless as it was foreboding. Only the smell of moisture existed, the kind that would instil pneumonia to those who remained here for only a little while.

The pool of water was disrupted however, by the foot of someone passing through. In the darkness this one couldn't be seen, but that person's steps continued on regardless. All around came the sound of static, and a vague glimmer was cast through the cave, just barely giving this person form. A man in a black cloak with red clouds, who had a pair of large jagged leaves enveloping his black and white head. His short hair was as green as the leaves to either side of him, and his eyes were as yellow as the sun. This man turned around, looking at the sources of the light with an impassive gaze.

The cave, which only moments before had been devoid of all life, was now present to a show of light far surpassing technological possibility. The hazy silhouettes of seven people had flickered into view, an assortment of unusual looking men. Of course, to say this in the presence of the one tangible man made such a thing lose all meaning. But all the same, there wasn't a normal thing about this ominous display, no sense of reality for the unimaginative to cling to.

"Hey, what the hell?" exclaimed one of the silhouettes, possibly the most normal looking one of the lot. This was a man, one with vibrant purple eyes and a collar that opened wide, allowing his face and some of his chest freedom of visibility. Informal as ever, he spoke out of turn and before the person who had called this meeting. "You wanna time these things better? I was in the middle of something!"

To repay his rudeness, the manner less man was ignored. This was commonplace amongst this group, so all he could do about it was grumble to himself. After that, the proper etiquette was performed and the person responsible for starting this meeting was allowed to speak. This was a man with thick, spiked out hair, and a pair of eyes that were completely grey, aside from the dark circles spreading out from the pupils.

"The time has come for us to begin preparations." he said, taking complete command of the attentions of everyone around him. His eyes looked over everyone else's, and he knew there wasn't a person among them who in spite of their manner was not feeling eager about these words. "We possess more than enough money and are receiving a steady supply of missions from the countries. Each of you has been given a team of subordinates to help you with your missions, and Akatsuki has a further following behind that. With the group Yoinokuchi collecting the Jinchuuriki, we have managed to accomplish this. But now is the time to progress with our plan."

In spite of the raised spirits this announcement brought, there was one person who felt the need to vocalise what almost everyone else had already noticed. "Why are we missing people?" asked the youngest man, one with a single blue visible eye and a large ponytail atop his head. This man was looking at two particular places, the area beside the man with the grey eyes, and the place next to the tallest one there. "Itachi-san and Konan-sama are missing."

It was the tallest man who spoke next, a person with tall spiked hair and a pair of tiny eyes with yellow irises. "Unfortunately Itachi is dead." he said, speaking through sharp, jagged jaws that for once offered no grin. For this person to look serious, even the foul mouthed member paid attention. "He was killed by his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, a while ago."

The purple eyed man, who really knew no manners, was the first to comment on this news. Placing his hands on his waist, he looked up at the roof of the cavern in an almost wise manner. "So that guy died first eh?" he mused, his eyes showing the smirk his invisible mouth couldn't. "Heh, that quiet guy that acted like some stuck up bastard? Can't say I'm all that surprised, guess he wasn't-"

"Enough, Hidan." the grey eyed man said suddenly, annoying the immoral person into quietening down. It seemed this man was the leader of the group, taking his place at the highest point with all eyes looking at him as he spoke. The only person to treat him with disrespect was that Hidan, but he disliked anyone who acted as though they were above him. "If someone like you can talk down to your fellow comrades, then someone like me would have to work very hard to upkeep the organisation's status."

Hidan glared at the leader of Akatsuki, but soon was distracted by snickers coming from a couple of the people present. Realising he was being ridiculed, his eyes bugged out and what little composure he had shattered as his temper snapped. "THE HELL'D YOU SAY?" he demanded, stepping forward with a half pumped fist. Though the parties guilty of triggering this response had settled down, he was by no means willing to do so. "YOU WANNA GET OVER HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE?"

"If we can move on…"

"Thank you Sasori-san." the leader said, bowing his head towards the short, hunchbacked member of Akatsuki next to the one with the ponytail. Sasori returned the gesture, though his suggestion had far from been goodwill. The leader accepted this nonetheless however, taking any opportunity to continue with business as was needed. "As for Konan, she has betrayed Akatsuki." he said, earning even Hidan's surprise with his unexpected statement. "As unlikely though it may be, should any of you encounter her you are to show her no mercy. Zetsu-san is currently in the process of tracking her down however, so there should be no problem."

The rest of Akatsuki looked in silence at their leader, each of them sharing the same thought. Konan had been in Akatsuki before any of them; it was with the leader that the organisation was created. Naturally, this turn came as great shock to them. "This sounds like Orochimaru all over again." muttered Sasori, with a notably bitter tone about him. He lazily lifted his gaze to the leader, privately wondering what that person thought about him making a statement like that. "Then if she is being taken care of, what will you have us do?"

While everyone awaited the leader's answer, Zetsu secretly took his leave. He already knew what was going to be said, and so no longer had any need to be here. While he departed the leader closed his eyes for a moment, and the tension rose considerably. "We have completed our first step, and the second has so far proven successful." he said, before suddenly spreading his eyes wide open. "We have our forces… now, we shall start a war."

* * *

Naruto slipped his sword back onto his back, letting out a sigh of discontent that matched his sour expression well. He was getting tired of boring fights with these predictable Oto Shinobi. The numerous fallen ninja behind him were example to this; it had gotten to the point where his attention was starting to wander. Three bases so far, and still no exciting results.

The base was actually beneath him, and underground bunker placed in a broad grassy plain. Negotiations hadn't gone well; it seemed that the ninja who had trained in these parts understood little about gauging their opponent's strength, instead relying on their own to get them through. It was ironic then that this fact was what pissed Naruto off most of all, since until recently he could have easily been accused of the same.

"_Man, these talks are turning to fights quicker each time."_ he told himself, as he looked up at the clear blue sky. The chill breeze helped get rid of what little sweat he had gathered in today's skirmish, but it was more of an annoyance than a pleasure. When he had been in a fight for as long as that, a clam atmosphere while he was left unfulfilled drove him crazy. _"It'd be better if there were no fights at all, but if it has to happen at least make it worthwhile…"_

And then there was _that guy._ The apparent leader of this little band of Shinobi, who had calmly sat on a nearby boulder while Naruto and Yagura tore through his men, all without showing the slightest sign of remorse or anger. The worst part was, Naruto could see from a glance that this guy was stronger than any of his subordinates, smarter too. That's what his eyes allowed him to see, but this person had expressed no desire to prove that little piece of information.

Naruto and Yagura slowly stepped over to that person, the man with the long, spiked back brown hair. He was dressed in an open black jacket and white shirt, with a pair of dark slacks and sandals over his lower half. His mouth was hidden behind a maroon oni mask, and his deep red eyes displaying no sort of interest. "So I guess that's all they were worth huh…" that man mused, without looking at either of the people responsible. "Still, I gauged your strength. You outmatch me, so I'm not gonna bother trying."

While Yagura had no trouble keeping his face straight in this situation, Naruto couldn't keep his in the same condition. Unclenching his fists, he gave this man the sort of disgusted look he would only give to a select few, since most people who pissed him off motivated him to do something about it. "That the way you talk about your followers?" he asked, trying to keep his tone as unbiased as possible. "If that's all they meant to you, why'd you stick with them in the first place?"

The man with the demon jaws looked up at Naruto with a raised brow, almost as if he had just noticed the boy's presence. "Followers?" he repeated, barely acknowledging the look Naruto was sending his way. Muttering something to himself, he rose to his feet and sidled through the gap between the two Jinchuuriki, making his way over to one of his "followers". "You've got it all wrong. These guys weren't my followers. They were my guards."

Looking over his shoulder, he could tell that while the two intruders had found his words strange, neither were really impressed by him. Though in truth he wasn't really surprised by that. And so instead he rose himself to his feet, keeping his head turned over his shoulder. "Well… I said that you guys outmatch me, but I kinda want to test you out a little." he said, as he raised his hand in a single seal. "See ya."

Though Naruto and Yagura were in no hurry to stop this guy, they both watched intently as he disappeared into thin air. Right away the two of them knew it; that was no Shunshin no Jutsu. That man had literally vanished, by some technique or other. Naruto looked over at Yagura, hoping for some insight into what they had just witnessed. But the shorter boy was caught up, not able to realise he was being watched.

"We should hurry." Yagura said, as he turned around and began walking. Naruto agreed with him; if what that mysterious man had said about these Shinobi laying around them was true, then it was incredibly unlikely that they would be receiving the trust of these people no matter what they did. But there was one thing that unsettled him about that idea; it was the fact that even though their leader was supposedly dead, these ninja were diligently continuing their duty. "It doesn't sound like he wanted to make things easy for us."

Naruto nodded quietly as they began to take their leave. He wondered if Yagura was thinking the same thing as him, about these ninjas' purpose here. But he shook it off, since no matter how he thought of it he couldn't find any reason to believe it affected him in the slightest. With that in mind, he and Yagura began running to the next base, which was regrettably nowhere near this location. Their alleged week long mission was beginning to look rather naïve.

* * *

All was going well, back at the base. The Hizuma ninja had finally settled in, and though the place wasn't as hectic as it was when they first arrived it was no less lively. The younger nin, three thirteen year olds to be precise, had been sent along with Suzuki to the local village to take on any odd jobs available. While those most troublesome were busy, the more experienced ninja set about the more dangerous tasks of hunting the local wildlife for food and other less leisurely purposes. At the moment the only people present where the four Kunoichi, who had grouped together to perform guard duty.

Utakata was of course also present, as was Sakura. He was the only one who could actually be seen however, as Sakura was busy dealing with various things regarding her new patients as well as the study of Fuu's perspiration. Hinata had gone with Suzuki's team to send off what would be the first report, which to both her and Sakura's surprise Utakata had not investigated. Though neither of them could understand why he would take such a risk, Utakata of course didn't see it this way.

Right now however, his attention was focused on the four Kunoichi patrolling the courtyard below. The girls seemed to vary in age, from one who was just a couple of years younger than him to one who could only be eleven or twelve. If nothing else, it was the youngest one who impressed him, since she seemed more mature than her slightly older clan members. But mature though she was, like the others she was nervous about her surroundings. The looks on their faces made Utakata want to tease them a little, but memories of Yagura's indiscrimination held him reluctantly back.

Of course, it was this thinking that led to misfortune. he had barely acknowledged this before the girls stopped and looked around them, before one of them pointed to his direction. In a moment all eyes were on him, and he was forced to look down at them with as polite a gaze as he could manage. "UTAKATA-SAMA!" the girls cried, their hands raised to their mouths. Utakata kept his smile, but his earlier thoughts were now gone. With a calling like that, resistance to his nature was more than futile.

He slid down the smooth surface beside the stairs, taking mere moments to reach the ground where the girls stood. There he converged with their group, taking note of their worried faces. "You're doing a good job." he said, giving unto them his trademark smile. Though these girls were ninja, he had little doubt that his skills would fail him here. The only concern he had was the jealousy of the male Shinobi here. "Is there something you need?"

It was the eldest of the four, a seventeen year old girl, who spoke first. "This is a pretty big place, and there aren't that many of us." she said, drawing Utakata's eyes towards her. He quietly appreciated her long hair and humble appearance, tunic aside she looked almost like a shrine maiden. However her round eyes and rather outspoken tone didn't quite match with that image, but all the same it was to Utakata's liking. "We can't guard this place well as we are."

Utakata gave a gratuitous nod, humouring the girls by seeing their problem as a real issue. In actual fact, he was already well aware of this point. Their duty was really just for show, both to keep them occupied and to show Hinata that there was some level of security here. "Well, we _are_ still a small group after all." he explained, slipping his arms into his sleeves and wearing a look that couldn't help calm the girls down a little. "Don't worry; it won't be too long before we have more people here."

The girls looked between each other, looking to be at least somewhat relieved by that. The youngest however, a girl with her just touching her shoulders, looked up at Utakata with a still slightly troubled look. "I don't get it, who do we need to keep an eye out for anyway?" she asked, with a frown on her brow. In almost an instant the effect Utakata had made was brought down as the girls looked at him earnestly again. "Is there any reason someone might come here?"

The bubble nin raised his brow at the well asked question, realising that even the youngest was quite sharp. It was pretty troubling, since he himself didn't like to lie to cute girls. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he looked up at the sky, knowing that if nothing else he could enjoy the coming reaction. "Who would want to come here…" he repeated, lulling the Kunoichi into a tension as things could go either way. "Well there's Kirigakure… Konohagakure… Sunagakure… Takigakure… by this point probably Otogakure… oh, and Iwagakure definitely wants us dead."

He paused for a moment longer, wondering if mentioning individual gangs that wanted to hunt them down would do any good. His thoughts were interrupted by an odd noise though, and his eyes turned down to the girls before him. It seemed his words had had quite a strong effect on them, as even the eldest was shaking with fearful eyes and a low moan. Letting out a nervous laugh, he raised his hands to try and make peace of the situation. "Well, I say that, but since we're in the land of fire, and there's a sort of thing about Konoha, we should be al-"

In a snap, Utakata silenced, his eyes snapping wide and looking far past the girls. He didn't hesitate for a second as he disappeared, reappearing behind the girls with a fierce look on his face. "Go and find the others, then go to the vantage points!" he ordered, as his hands flew to his weapons, the claws and the bubble blower. The girls behind had no clue what had caught his attention, but after what he said before they felt even more fearful. "MOVE!"

The Kunoichi quickly followed his command, running off to find their fellow clan members. As they left Utakata unscrewed the lid of his flask, almost shoving his bubble blower in the solution before raising it to his lips. "Bubble art: Grand Bubble Mist Jutsu!" he called, before letting out his fullest exhale into his little tool. Ignoring the force of his breath, thousands of tiny bubbles shot out from the wider end, flying through and around the air until it became difficult to see. _"Whoever they are, they're not here yet. That gives me time to prepare."_

In the midst of his bubble mist, Utakata had hindered the senses of sight and smell. The light reflected off the bubbles' surface and distorted the area, casting rays of light like rainbows with no sense of direction. The soapy scent of course made tracking even harder; the enemy was going to have to rely on sound if they wanted to get through. In preparation for that, Utakata gripped his bubble blower and freed his hand, grabbing from inside his kimono a small phial. Once he flicked the cork out, he poured the entire contents in and lightly swished the flask around. Afterwards he set about making a second mass of bubbles, these ones large and just noticeably orange.

With his defence now complete, there was another thing he needed to do. Replacing the lid on his flask and slipping his bubble blower away, he raised his hand into a single seal and closed his eyes. All around him the smaller bubbles began to vibrate, and as a result rendered absolutely zero visibility. Even Utakata himself couldn't see in this, but fortunately he knew the methods of getting through. _"From our position, it could either be Konoha or Iwa."_ he told himself, as he raised his tekagi-shuko to his chest. _"Most likely it's Konoha… damn it, looks like we left the Hinata-chan's job too late."_

"Utakata-san!"

Utakata whipped his head around, just barely making out the hushed whisper. His eyes widened in shock as he realised there was one factor he hadn't taken into account, one that would either save him, or kill him; Sakura. With his hands still held in the seal, he dimmed the effects of the bubbles in the area he had heard the voice. There he saw the pink haired girl, and she managed to see him. "Sakura-chan!" he called back, in as hushed a tone as she had called out to him. With a quick gesture he beckoned her forward, regretting slightly that the threatening look of his clawed hand. Sakura hurried towards him however, looking suspiciously out to the bubbles around her. "Someone's coming."

Whether Sakura was already aware of this or not was unclear, but Utakata was willing to bet she wasn't. Most likely it had been one of the girls who had alerted her in passing, his grand bubble mist doing the rest of the work for her. As far as Utakata was concerned though, the situation had only become trickier. If it was true that these were Konoha nin, then he could use Sakura to explain the situation. But if they weren't from Konoha, or even if they were and their orders were absolute, then taking such actions would give away their position.

Before Utakata could make a decision however, he closed the gap in visibility his bubbles had created. "They're here." he said, lowering his seal and readying his weapon. Sakura seemed to be thinking along the same lines as him, and was worried that they were going to go into an unnecessary conflict with Konoha. That was the most likely outcome to her, so naturally she was more inclined for solutions that wouldn't end in battle. But just as she was about to express this, Utakata stated his plan. "I'll subdue anyone who gets close, avoid fatalities when possible. You try and confirm who they are, if they can be convinced to stand down or not."

The sounds of metal striking stone could be heard, and all communication between Utakata and Sakura was cut off as they leapt into the air. Explosions rang out as blasts of orange destroyed a large portion of the bubbles, but not enough to cause them to disperse. Utakata took this as a signal for battle and landed on the ground running, breaking free of his cloud of bubbles with his hand raised in a single seal again. Almost immediately his Jutsu shattered as the bubbles flew off in every direction, the illusion fading in favour of another effect.

The orange bubbles, now slightly more disguised with the darkness of the forest, drifted along on almost direct courses. These bubbles headed toward random bushes, bursting as they contacted the leaves and suddenly violently igniting the leaves. Instantly those bushes shifted as shadows darted out from them, the cover of those hiding successfully blown. Four ninja converged together on the ground, their backs close to one another as they stood with raised kunai. Utakata appeared before these nin, taking this opportunity to see just who they were.

Three of four heads turned to look at him, their faces hidden behind smooth porcelain masks. These masks were decorated individually, one with red petals, one with a green cross and one with a blue swirl on the lower part. These Shinobi were dressed in orange turtlenecks covered by green kimonos, a uniform that Utakata knew all to well. He knew two of the men, and the woman there, almost as well as he knew his fellow Jinchuuriki. "Kirigakure hunter squad…" he breathed, eyes widening in shock. "South Falls Division?"

Though the last of the four nin was an unfamiliar face, he had little trouble imagining why that was the case. After all, with him gone his former squad would have needed a fourth member. That person looked over his shoulder, and sure enough his mask bore a pair of blue lines tracking down from the thin eyepieces. That had once been the mask Utakata wore, but had abandoned long ago.

The South Falls hunter-nin squad fixed their attentions onto Utakata, their masks failing to hide their feelings. The commander of the squad, the Shinobi bearing the cross mark, was the one who spoke first. "There's no need to explain yourself." he said, as he and the others slipped their kunai away. Once their hands were free, they began forming seals, revealing that conversation was going to be short. "We know that you and Mizukage-sama have abandoned Kiri. We are here to fulfil our duty… I'm sure you understand."

Utakata lowered his weapon to his side, keeping his arm tense as was necessary. Of course he understood; the Mizukage was someone who knew all of Kiri's secrets. Whether they were the leader or not, if they threatened the security of the village then it was the hunter nin's duty to eliminate them. There was nothing personal about this attack. _"But at the same time…"_ he thoughts, as his fingers gripped the triggers hidden inside his tekagi-shuko. There was one point that told him how much the enemy knew, and highlighted the urgency of what was going on here. _"There's no way they would only send one squad of hunter nin to take down _Yagura-niisan_. It looks like they know he's not here."_

Talk suddenly ended as the four ninja formed their hand seals, all of them following the same pattern. Utakata recognised the seals and the formation, as he himself had once been a part of this attack nearly a year ago. "Suiton: Four Seal Jutsu: Aqueous Transmission!" they cried, planting their open palms on the ground. Without a second's hesitation, Utakata leapt into the air. His move came just in time, as the ground beneath his feet crumbled.

The earth shattered apart with the flow of boulders, as water rose from beneath the ground. This water formed a deep pond around the four ninja who created it, a mound of earth remaining for them to stand on. Utakata in turn created a bubble large enough for him to stand on, and looked down at his former team mates with wary eyes. The water below him was murky, and a thin vapour rose from it in a dangerous hiss. It was unsafe down there; just breathing in those gases would be inadvisable. The hunter nin were wearing their masks, so it was to be expected that they were safe from the fumes.

Utakata was also a poison user, so in any case it would be shaming if he himself was undefended against dangerous chemicals. From his kimono, in a pocket at his right breast, he procured a small metal faceplate covered in tiny holes. He had just barely tied this around his head, when the enemy did something that almost made him lose concentration. "Suiton; Suijinheki!" they cried, placing their hands once more on the ground. Utakata had no time to dodge as the water of the pool suddenly shot into the air, blasting far higher than he himself stood. Traces of the water splashed the local wildlife, and singed them in a corrosive liquid.

Inside the water encampment wall, the South Falls team were protected from contact by their small island. They were each confident in their attack, but when three crimson claws fired out on thick black cables, the Shinobi and Kunoichi under the commander that Utakata already knew were cut. In an instant they finished their Jutsu, and as the water wall crashed back down to the ground, a flurry of movement occurred. When all had settled, Utakata stood unscathed on the island, his bubble protecting him just like they had been safe.

"_That's two…" _he thought, as he retracted the blades back to their positions. Outside the scope of the pool, the enemy had landed in four points, surrounding Utakata from every side. He looked around them contemplatively, wiping the blood from his claws onto his sleeve with great care not to leave any. Whether they had a response to his irregular action or not, he could hardly tell. What he did notice though, was that already they were making their next move.

"Four frozen beacons: tragic torrential encampment!" cried the four synonymous voices, crouching down on the ground with their hands clenched in the rat seal. Utakata whipped his head around as pillars of light shot up from the casters; this formation was completely unknown to him. The four pillars gave way to a blue wall, one which to his shock solidified in a cold sheen; it was a barrier of ice.

Whipping his head around, he confirmed what he thought. These walls were completely made of ice taken from the corrosive water, forming a giant glass cube that imprisoned him in the corrosive mist. _"This is bad, if the gases are trapped then the mask won't matter." _he told himself, as he fixed his eyes upon the Shinobi wearing the mask that had formerly been his own. He knew for a fact that none of his squad was capable of Hokuton, so this man had to be a member of that clan. If that was the case, then Utakata needed to be really careful. _"The most pressing condition is the size of this land. It's not big enough to cast the Jashin seal. In which case…"_

The bubble which had protected him from the water encampment wall hadn't been able to survive the punishment, but he knew that his own mortality rate was considerably lower than that. He knew that he was in for a rather agonizing time, but there was no choice about it. Raising his hands in a single seal, the small bubbles still existing outside the ice field began their illusionary effect. Though not on such a grand scale, the sight of the hunter squad was hindered enough that they couldn't see what was about to come. However, just as Utakata prepared to make his move, it seemed someone else was making theirs first.

"SHANNARO!"

The sound of shattering glass rang out from every angle, as the water pool was struck by shards of broken ice. Utakata looked up just in time to step aside, allowing Haruno Sakura to land on safe ground. Adapting to the change in situation well, Utakata whipped his hands around his tools and blew a bubble large enough to surround both him and his rescuer. "They are outside their territory after all." he smirked, as the bubble quickly ascended.

Sakura whipped her eyes to him, looking quite embarrassed that her own words had been stolen from her mouth. "Th-that's right!" she replied, looking away as the bubble ascended past the tree limits. The knowing look on Utakata's face, fleeting though it may have been, was enough to make her regret her actions. "They're inside Hi no Kuni; it's my duty as a Konoha Kunoichi to stop them from causing trouble!"

Utakata chuckled to himself, knowing he was probably just making Sakura madder. Before he could give her the chance to fortify her claimed, he let himself fall forward and out of the bubble, descending through the air at a rapid pace as he set about finishing the job. Meanwhile the bubble carried Sakura out of the way, before dropping her off in a safer location. After all, an injured med was an embarrassment to themselves and the people charged with protecting them.

The bubble nin landed just as the last of his creations were destroyed. With visibility returning, the eyes of his old squad looked at him again distrustfully. But their looks were soon to fail them, as Utakata licked his blood stained sleeve, before shrugging the upper half of his kimono off. Then, while his skin was turning black and white, he did something which not even Sakura could have predicted. With the three claws of his tekagi-shuko, he began to commit seppuku.

"GAH-GRAH!" he groaned, his face contorted in obvious pain. Blood spilled from his stomach, pouring onto the ground in a large puddle. Stopping his act before his organs could fall out, Utakata then began to turn in a circle, dragging his foot through the blood to create an insignia in the ground. This was followed with a few strokes of his leg, forming a triangle inside the circle. By the time this was complete, his form had finished as well.

The commander of the South Falls Division was at a loss, trying to figure out just what his old subordinate was doing. Was he really committing suicide now, after all that ruckus back there? He glanced behind him to his current subordinates, wondering what their take on this was. It was there that he was met with another shock; two of them were running at Utakata with their tanto in hand. "Hold your positions!" he ordered, only to be ignored. He was forced to watch then, as once more his underlings went against his orders. They both assaulted Utakata, impaling him with their tanto.

This time all the bubble nin could do was choke. His old team mates were still masked, but he could see their shaking bodies clearly. The Kunoichi, the one Utakata had perhaps known the longest, tried hard to look up at him. But before she could make eye contact, her team mate and her pulled their blades back out, and Utakata fell to the ground. Not far behind them, their commander and new team mate had come to check on them, words of anger ready to come out. But they were stunned out of language, as the two over acting ninja spun around, cutting the air with their tanto. Utakata's blood arced through the air, splashing across the bodies of the commander and team mate respectively.

"…Jujutsu: Water of Life… Tainted by Death."

None of the Shinobi knew what had hit them, or rather, what it was that was cutting through them. The places were Utakata's blood lay were suddenly disrupted by their own blood, which fired from their bodies as if eager to get out. Throats, chests, arms, legs, blood poured from everywhere, cascading to the ground in a grotesque fountain. As those four bodies hit the ground, faint groans of pain escaping from the soon to be deceased's lips, the voice that caused this event called out one more time. "Hey Sakura-chan… think you can give me a hand?"


	13. If time could allow an ignorant fool

Phew, just when I thought this little arc would start to look like filler BAM! I come up with an idea to rectify it. The things revealed in this chapter were the sort of things I intended to leave to later, but I've decided not to use the style of keeping secrets to a big reveal. After all, this is the third part of a trilogy, so it's not exactly appropriate to drag things out anymore. Prepare for a lot of reveals, and probably some confusion. They say the first in a series is always the best. Hopefully I'll prove that rule wrong.

Disclaimer: I'm being forced to watch things like K-ON for anime... please everyone, shout out the most badass anime you've ever seen!

* * *

**If time could allow an ignorant fool like me**

It seemed the Daimyo really was the most well of person in all of his country. The grand palace he lived in wasn't the greatest that ever existed, but it still far outshone the conditions of which his people lived in day after day. The very building itself was twice as tall as the trees and at least an acre large. In front of it lay a small but noble looking town, descending the hill at which the palace took ground. Only the rich could live in a place like this. Well, the rich and their servants, to be precise.

The amusing point to all this was, in spite of all this grandiose, it couldn't surpass nature. A harsh storm had struck this palace, pelting it with rain and illuminating it with lightning. Fierce winds howled through the walkways, causing the sliding doors to rattle and some to even slip open. All the residents, attendants and guests to the palace were shut up inside; it had been deemed unsafe to move around outside.

This of course, made the job of those capable of moving out there so much simpler. Though they were sodden, and frozen to the bone, Naruto and Yagura ascended the hill from the rear, where the rocks were steep and dangerous. But this time they were not alone, for they had five shadows following behind them. This group of seven, though quite out of their element, made their steady climb jumping from rock to rock, silently praying for something to get their slowing blood pounding when they managed to get inside.

They landed on the unmanned walkway splashing pools of water aside with their feet and hands. The lights from inside cast shadows upon the paper screens; it appeared the storm had masked the sound of their arrival. However, it was not a stealth approach they sought to take. Rising to their feet, the seven Shinobi faced the central screen, before Naruto took initiative and rudely slid the door open. "Alright, you Oto guys take point." he said, as he stood aside the empty room. "Take us to the Daimyo, no sneaking, no causing trouble."

The five shadows, three slim and two large, gave a nod in reply as they walked between Naruto and Yagura and into the palace. Sliding the door shut behind them, they made their way to the person they intended to meet, hoping that no one would get the wrong idea by them using the back door. _"This Daimyo is apparently pretty jumpy."_ Yagura thought, as they stepped out into an empty hallway. _"It's not hard to see why; his guards are few and his country unpopular. It's a wonder he hasn't already fled for his life."_

Despite the few people present in this building, it was only shortly after their arrival that they encountered someone. A guard, dressed in full samurai gear, stepped around the corner. In an instant he had drawn his blade and was ready to call out, but then one of the lean Shinobi raised his hand in a peaceful manner. "Hold on; we're not enemies." he said, as his signal caused the guard to falter. Taking a step forward, he revealed himself to be a man with a face mask, sharp eyes and long, messy brown hair. With his pale blue pinstriped vest and slacks, his black and white camouflaged arm protectors and most importantly, his forehead protector with the musical note tied loosely around his neck, his appearance as an Otogakure Shinobi was undisputable. "Please lead us to the Daimyo."

The guard seemed good at his job, since he showed reluctance to just take this Shinobi's word for it and lead them away. Looking down past the hall he had just come from, he beckoned over some other guards who had taken notice of his drawn weapon. Three more showed up to quietly confer, oblivious to the fact that Oto Shinobi were trained to hear these sorts of things. As was Naruto. "They look legitimate, but the Daimyo has no appointments with Shinobi." uttered one of them, while the others murmured their agreements. "If we turn them away, there could be trouble. What should we-"

Suddenly they were interrupted, as somewhere a few floors above there came a piercing scream. "MURDER, THE DAIMYO'S DEAD!" shrieked a woman, startling everyone into casting their eyes above. Forgetting about the Shinobi, the four guards ran off with their hands on their blades. But Naruto, Yagura and the others were on the move too, returning outside to take a much quicker route.

They reached the edge of the walkway, before in a feat of acrobatics they flipped up onto the roof of that floor. Naruto whipped his head up to the place where the scream had come from, and froze as he saw a faint form. "Hey, someone's up there!" he called, as Yagura landed beside him. The two of them looked at the figure, hunched over outside the Daimyo's window. In this condition he was hard to see, but-

_PHROW!_

Lightning blasted across the sky, revealing the entire palace for just a second. But in that second, Naruto and Yagura caught sight of the assassin up above. It was the Shinobi from before, the one with the oni mask. He had been watching them since the moment they appeared, a cruel glint in his eyes as he saw their reaction. Then, as the light disappeared and disorientation slipped in, he disappeared. "It's him!" Yagura called, whipping his sodden hair to his left. But Naruto had already passed him, giving chase to the fleeing assailant. "NARUTO!"

"NO WAY IS HE GETTING AN EXIT LIKE THAT!"

The six remaining Shinobi looked at Naruto in quiet disbelief, wondering just where his priorities lay. But he was already well on his way, chasing the faint signs that only his eyes could pick up. _"It's dark… but I can still see his energies." _he thought to himself, as he looked at the next rooftop up. Not far ahead of him was an obscured form consisting of the rising and radiating auras, which Naruto was now able to comprehend. _"The rising aura is his strength, which is being exerted right now. That makes the other aura his mind, right?"_

Naruto suddenly changed direction as his quarry did the same, and only a few moments later the two of them were jumping from rock to rock as they made their way down the hill. All the while Naruto refused to take his eyes off that person, deciding to take this chance to figure out what he could. _"I think… I get what those energies really are." _he thought to himself. The assassin seemed to have higher amounts of the radiating aura than rising, so then that had to mean he was smarter than he was strong. _"Then he's going to be sneaky with his movements… better to finish this early then."_

Even though he said that, it wasn't him who made the first move. With a sudden change of pace, the enemy leapt into the air and headed straight for Naruto, pulling his arm across the opposite shoulder. Naruto prepared to dodge a volley of Shuriken, but to his surprise the assassin raised his free hand into a single seal. Almost immediately, his two auras fluctuated in a peculiar manner. _"So is this what it looks like when he generates chakra?" _Naruto thoughts, as he watched the two energies change direction and move _inside_ the assassin's body. There they twisted and turned, before suddenly blasting back out. Naruto quickly pulled the Ekokaeten out, reacting purely on instinct.

Sparks flew from something sharp that struck the giant blade, hitting Naruto much harder than he had expected. The enemy increased the gap between them, before lunging in for a follow up. Naruto stepped back on the rocks, dodging slash after slash as he took in what he saw. This guy's auras were settling again, but for some reason his right hand was still contorting with chakra. As another bolt of lightning shone through the air, it became easy to see why. The assassin's hand was deformed, bigger than it should be, blacker than human skin, and with claws as sharp as talons.

Naruto looked into the assassin's eyes, seeing the dullness of someone who was ignoring most of the things around him. It was an unusual sight, augmented by the ominous weather to almost make Naruto believe he was fighting a corpse. But he knew that wasn't the case; little pieces of information were crawling into his brain, before coming together to form an obscure picture. _"It doesn't look like he's _changed_ his hand, it happened too fast and too naturally."_ he thought, without realising that he was taking his time. He was too caught up in what he was seeing to understand what was going on. _"It's a weird technique… but I can handle it."_

To prove this, he switched from defensive to offensive even while his enemy made his attack. The Ekokaeten slid along the wrist of the opponent, slicing that bestial hand clean off. In truth, Naruto wasn't really surprised when he heard no cry of pain. Almost as soon as the hand was gone, a puff of smoke appeared around the assassin's seeping wrist, soon revealing his real hand once again. _"It's a summoning technique, isn't it?"_ Naruto asked himself, feeling actually a little impressed both with the enemy and himself. He let out a grin, deciding that there really was no need to hold this out any longer.

Bringing his blade around in a wide arc, Naruto feigned an attack while surreptitiously letting one hand go of the hilt. His open palm then whipped around in the same motion his enemy had been making, seeking to claw at the assassin's face. But the attack never connected, as before it could happen, the assassin was struck by a force of wind, not like the one bearing on his other side. The effect of being struck by two fierce gusts like that, was one with only one result. Blood shot out of the enemy's head, and he let out a choked cry of pain as his mask fell off. A contorted look on his face was the last of them, as he fell to the ground.

Naruto straightened up, returning Eko to its place on his back. Though the fight itself had been boring, he still wore a look of interest even as he made his way back. After having so many fights, uneventful though they may have been, he finally understood what it was his eyes were capable of. With them, he could see the two components of chakra, physical and mental energy. From what Kisame had taught him, coupled with the understanding he gained from Eko, he could see just how strong and intelligent an enemy was by how powerful their auras were. Apparently this also included when those energies gathered to create chakra. As he leapt up the boulders, he smirked to himself. This was definitely a useful skill.

* * *

The sound of jubilation was rather odd to hear, when nothing had happened to earn it. The walls of the tavern shook with vigour as the men inside drank to their hearts content, not appeased with a quiet night. Then again, this was a bar that often hosted retired Shinobi, who liked to recount tales of the war. Every other day was like victory day here, as everyone got excited all over again.

Of course, this rejoicing wasn't as strong as it was back then, but it was enough to make for a rather rowdy time. It was beyond what someone like Fuu could get used to. But she did her best to stay out of the way, even though she was huddled up at the bar with the noisiest of the drinkers. Unlike Yagura or Gaara, she had learned to handle situations like these with a smile, and if asked she could show just as much cheer as everyone else. But it was hard to keep her heart steady; she wasn't sure if she was excited like a pup or scared like a mouse.

It didn't help her then that neither Gaara nor Han was with her at this time. The two of them had left her just for now, in search of any relevant information they could pick up. Fuu was to do the same as she had at the past few stops; find a busy place, get into trouble and use her Nikusui to get out of it. That had worked so far, but this time she had no safety net to rely on. So of course, she was feeling quite nervous about all this.

She knew she would have to keep her calm though, since this particular place was more dangerous than the others. This little village was close by to a Kumogakure guard point, and as such was frequented by ninjas who still had at least a few years to go before retirement. If she overdid it here, then there was a chance her venture to Kumo would go faster than even Gaara could plan for. And ironically enough, that was the best case scenario in that event.

Draining her glass quicker than perhaps was wise, Fuu decided that it was time to get to work. The person next to her was starting to get droopy; she could tell that her sedative was starting to take effect. Timing herself carefully, she waited until the bulky, bearded man was putting all his weight onto his propped arm, before sneakily pushing it out from under him. "KYAA!" she cried out, as the heavy lump slipped and fell on top of her. The two tumbled to the ground, and she realised she had probably made a mistake in picking such a weighty guy as her target. "GET OFF YOU… PERVERT!"

Her cry was probably her second error, as barely a moment after she let it out the heavy man was hauled off of her by his friends, giving her no time to do what she needed to do. She was helped to her feet by one of them, who hastily apologised for his friend's behaviour. "Hey now, this is no place for kids in the first place!" exclaimed the barman, who of course had come to investigate the commotion.

Fuu had to resist pouting right there, she was already fifteen wasn't she? But nonetheless she knew she was in a losing battle, and so she grabbed her rucksack from beside the stool before casting an indifferent hand as she turned away from the bar. "Like I need a filthy place like this anyway!" she announced, loud enough for everyone to hear her opinion. She marched towards the door with her head held high, but let her dignity slip at the last second my turning around and showing everyone her tongue. "Mnn! Baka!"

With that she dramatically left the bar, taking to the street as if she had never done such a childish thing. But her pride was to last her for only a few moments, as she realised she had screwed up pretty badly in there. _"Oh well… it's no big deal if I mess up _once_ right?"_ she asked herself, lifting her hand to her head as she sighed. The last few times had been successful, and they were far from done, so it didn't matter if one of them didn't work out as planned. Though of course, there was no way she would say that to Gaara. After all, this was _his _plan.

In the end, since nothing could be done, Fuu decided she could at least use this remaining time to some benefit. Fortunately for her the tavern she had been present in was just on the outskirts of the village, so she didn't have all that far to go. And if her luck held up, maybe someone would spot her training and talk about it, thus eliminating her earlier screw up. _"Then again… this place is freezing!"_ she thought, shivering lightly from the cold. She was far up in the mountains; the air was getting thinner and the days a little paler. There was another benefit to training, all the more incentive to do so.

She reached a suitable place in the tall, thin and fairly bare trees that clung to the patches of habitable soil like barnacles to a boat. She looked around for a place to drop off her rucksack. Placing it down between the roots of one of those diehard trees, she stretched her arms high and wide, getting rid of the stiffness she had earned from sitting hunched over on a barstool for over an hour. She let her arms drop to her side, and opened her eyes. Then, she suddenly found herself feeling even stiffer than before.

"KYA!" she cried, as from nowhere she was pushed against the tree. Before she could dodge, two tanto were pushed deep into the tree on either side of her head, severely limiting her movement. Then once again she was grabbed, and forced to turn around, facing the person who she had been unable to detect. If fear hadn't already gripped her, the expression on this person's face would most certainly throw her straight over the edge.

The contorted brow of a dark skinned man, forming a glare of hatred emphasised with bared teeth. The shiny Kumogakure head plate which made this angered man's allegiance clear. To make things worse, there were two nin on either side of him, holding the tanto in place. Though those two kept their eyes away from Fuu, she could feel the rage seeping off of them too. What had started out as a normal training experience had suddenly become something terrifying.

The Kumo nin directly in front of her grabbed her by her shirt, pressing her back against the tree with a huge, meaty fist. He then got so close to Fuu that she could feel the fiery breath pumping out from his nostrils, could see it condensing in the cold air. "You're the ones, aren't you?" he demanded, his voice so loud Fuu wished she could shield her ears. But she was frozen by a feeling she had never experienced before; the feeling of having three massive wells of killer intent pouring over her, threatening to drown her in its depths. "WHERE'S KIRABI-SAMA?"

She was already sweating, but she tried to keep control over herself. She knew the name of the person this man was yelling, her fear now being added to by a wave of confusion. Caught breathless for a moment, she was unable to offer intelligible answer. "E-eh?" she gasped, her surprise only angering the Kumo nin further. She felt and heard the wood crack on either side of her, and could see the blades turning to face her neck. If she tested their temper any further, it was clear her hopes for the future would die as they were. "H-h-how should I know?"

This obviously was not what the Kumo nin wanted to hear. Even the ones to either side had started growling, clearly believing that Fuu was hiding the truth from them. The one who had a hold on her let her shirt go, his free hand slipping behind him for a weapon. "You've got allies; we can capture and interrogate _them_." he said, as he pulled his hand back, revealing a spiked knuckleduster sitting around his huge fingers. Fuu caught sight of faint flickers of electricity, and knew that she was in fatal danger. "As for you… you can DIE!"

Fuu's eyes widened as he pulled his fist back, and felt the tanto on either side inch closer to her neck. She couldn't move if she wanted to, she'd either decapitate herself on the blades or meet this Shinobi's punch head on. _"I have to- no!" _she thought to herself, as desperation struck her like a bolt of lightning. If she did nothing, she was going to die. _"I… I can't… I said I wouldn't!"_

But it was not her mind, nor her heart that dictated her actions. There was another control, a command higher than either of those, which instinctively triggered at this dangerous time. Fuu clung onto her chest, knowing she couldn't stop what was going to happen. Tears were already brimming in her eyes, blood seeping from her lip. _"Yagura-kun… please forgive me!" _she thought, as her grip on her clothes reached their tightest.

The Kumo nin's punch didn't reach her, and the blades on either side failed to cut. The three Shinobi's instincts had hit them, but it was too little too late. Vapour exploded from Fuu's body in a torrential mist, instantly enveloping the ninja and forcing them to disappear from view. All that could then be heard, aside from the hiss of the vapour, was the screams of full grown men, as their flesh was dissolved by an incredibly potent acid. Within this mist, three shadows fell to the ground… soon to be followed by a fourth.

* * *

Back at the Daimyo's palace, there wasn't a single sleeping resident in the entire building. Many people were gathered in the Daimyo's throne room, mostly guards with the inclusion of the most noble ladies and gentlemen. Torches were lit to compensate for the darkness of the storm, their mild heat somewhat making the coldness of the night more bearable. But there wasn't a single calm face among the people standing there; everyone was rightfully worried.

That being said, there was one person who was not on his feet. In the chair that belonged to the Daimyo, his son had taken post, looking over the nobles and guards with an expression of deadly seriousness. He was a young man, with wavy brown hair and the smooth complexion of the well off. He was dressed in the clothes of a military general, though in truth those were more show than tell. There wasn't a single medal upon his blue velveteen jacket, and the shiny buttons had had no opportunity to dim.

The Daimyo's son, Kazoku Senshu, sat with his arms resting on his knees. To everyone looking, he was a tragic prince robbed of his father. He well received the pity of everyone, and the admiration for keeping such a strong face. "Everyone, please, leave me be for now." he requested, raising his hand and waving it towards the door. The people in the room hesitated for a moment; the details of the Daimyo's death had so far been kept from them. "I have important business to conduct with the people responsible for ridding us of the person who stole my Otousama from us all."

The noblemen and women murmured to each other, saying quiet words of thanks that the culprit had been dealt with. They were all lead out of the room, along with the guards at Senshu's request. The steady precession made their way back to their rooms, though it was truly unlikely that any amongst them would be sleeping easily tonight. After all, those who slept easy on the night of an assassination were the worst. Soon the room was almost empty, with just the Daimyo's son, Naruto, Yagura and the five Oto Shinobi remaining. The tall doors slung slowly shut, letting a dull boom spread through the hallways in a final tone.

Almost instantly, Kazoku Senshu's demeanour changed completely. He slid back into the chair, throwing one leg over the other as he rested his elbow upon the cushioned armrests of his late father's throne. His serious eyes grew narrower, and much more playful than they had been just seconds ago. "I must say that it's an unusual twist, that dear Jin-kun would die so soon after completing his mission." he said, with a long, thin smile. He looked over the Shinobi bearing the Oto head plates, noticing they seemed to have no opinion on this. "It seems Otogakure can't protect this country anymore."

Naruto's eyes widened as he realised what this person had done. He began to take a step forward, intending to make an accusation, when Yagura reached out to stop him. "No matter how you look at it, he is the Daimyo now." he said, looking at Naruto from the corner of his eye. The two of them watched each other for a second, before Naruto gave the slightest of nods. Then he took his step back, and allowed Yagura to take the lead on this one. Yagura appreciated this, but intended to keep the discussion short. Looking up at the Daimyo, he drew the attention of that man with his powerful gaze. "We two are not Shinobi of Otogakure; we are strangers in your country. But we share a similar thinking; presently Ta no Kuni is without adequate protection and maintenance."

The Daimyo Senshu cocked a brow, his smile slipping at the knowledge of something dissatisfying. He shifted his weight so his arms rested on both sides of the throne, doing his best to look like he belonged there. Though in truth, he didn't look quite large enough for a chair that size. "So you have come here with intentions of making this place grander than the swamp it is?" he asked, chuckling faintly to himself. It was clear that in spite of whatever actions he had taken to get this position, he held little love for the country that was now his. "Taking down one assassin won't be enough to win me over, you understand?"

His point was well understood, and in fact expected. Yagura cast his eyes to the Otogakure Shinobi standing behind him, noticing the slight signs of discomfort in all of their eyes. "Well if that's the case, then we certainly won't be disappointing you." he replied, slowly turning his head back to look at the Daimyo with an unassuming expression. His hands rose to either side of him, displaying those Shinobi as if they were shining trophies. "These Shinobi are from Oto's greatest, and most resistant, settlements. There isn't a person among them who didn't fight their hardest against the two of us, I can attest to that myself."

It was easy to see, for even a person like Kazoku Senshu, that what Yagura was saying was no lie. The faces of the Oto Shinobi were straight, but he didn't get to where he was without being able to read faces well. They were all ashamed, and angered if anything more. They looked like wolves taken as prisoners, caged by the bars of their captives' strength. Senshu's ever changing expression turned rather stressed, signs of deep thought were obvious. "So what you want me to believe is that the two of you successfully subjugated what was left of the former Otogakure?" he asked. Steepling his fingers in front of his mouth, he went into deeper consideration of the value these apparent strangers had. "Well even if that isn't true, it would take either great power or great numbers to do such a thing…"

While he went off into further thought, Naruto inched slightly towards Yagura. Neither of them made any indication that they were conferring to each other, doing their best to keep the Daimyo from getting any unnecessary thoughts. It seemed to be mostly Naruto speaking, while Yagura gave slight nods in reply. Then, just before the Daimyo noticed them, they parted again as if nothing had been said at all. However it was Naruto who took point, earning Senshu's attention with his confident eyes.

"You're a smart man, but you've got no power." he said, earning the Daimyo's surprise and annoyance with the sudden turn of pace. "You got to where you are with smarts and cunning, I don't need to know you to see that. But what I _can _see is that without ninja, you're gonna need your own military force. What soldier is gonna wanna follow a leader whose never even killed a man? You _need_ ninja, you _need_ a hidden village. It just so happens we're looking for missions. So why don't we just drop the superior act and get things over with. Unless you want us to leave, and take what's left of Oto with us?"

Yagura gave Naruto a look of warning; this wasn't how they had agreed the group leader would convince the Daimyo. This warning was given reason by the sneer on Senshu's face. But Naruto paid neither looks the slightest heed, knowing full well that his threat would not be called as a bluff. The over presumptuous man sitting in the throne of his recently deceases father would not want to have to deal with having no military power before his reign had even officially started. Naruto knew that, and Senshu knew that. All that was left was a staring contest between the two leaders. And Naruto had been specially trained not to blink.

Kazoku Senshu let his smile return, his previous scowl returning to a look of sadistic pleasure. He rose from his seat to stand at full height, a last ditch attempt at asserting some authority over his situation. "You are a commendable person, strong will, mind and power." he said, flattering Naruto wastefully. The blond boy was tempted to just turn around and walk away now; the outcome was already beyond obvious to him. "But you really must work on that attitude. After all, as your friend said this country is not in a well state. You wouldn't be here if you had better options, am I right?"

Naruto smirked at the Daimyo, at least glad that this person was perceptive enough to notice this. But he was by no means willing to let the scales balance out, not after all the boring battles he had had to suffer through up to this point. "I just figured it would be easier to build a hidden village from the scraps of an old one, than start from scratch." he replied, letting Senshu see the flash of excitement in his eyes, thunder in his yellow iris. "There's still better places out there, I know an old man in Kage no Kuni who would love to have people like us on his side."

He watched with a growing smirk as Senshu flinched at this revelation. _Now_, the battle of words had been won. Naruto had to actually exert himself a little to hide his giddiness; he hadn't won a battle of intelligence in years, not since Eko started getting ideas about who needed the other one more. Of course in that case Naruto had just stabbed the blade into the ground and left it there for a day. The sword became a little meeker after that. Right now he was noticing a similar thing happen to the new Daimyo, who was perhaps learning that he had perhaps picked the wrong time to usurp his father's throne.

"Well then, I suppose we've said all there is to be said." the young leader sighed, dropping into his throne and slumping back as far as he could go. With one hand covering one eye, he regarded Naruto with an unsmiling face. It seemed that this was also the first time a battle of intelligence had gone this way for him, he was unsurprisingly dissatisfied. "I will take care of the preparations. Tell me the location you desire, and I will send you what you need. I will expect results, you understand?"

This time however, Naruto really did lose interest. Turning around, he gave a wave as he walked towards the door, leaving Yagura to take care of any remaining items. "I said you were a smart guy, didn't I?" he asked, as he opened one of the giant doors with a lazy hand. Before he left, he looked over his shoulder with a crooked smile, deciding to antagonise the person whom he was now assigned with protecting one last time. "But someone who can only get blood on other people's hands can't win against someone who has lost as much blood as he spilled. Later."


	14. Her face was marred with indecency

This one is over 6600 words, which is pretty good considering I've been in the garden all day. It's strange how easy it is to piece things together, now that this story is at that stage. Well, that's not to say things won't be getting difficult. Actually, I get the feeling things will get very troublesome in the near future. Eh... I'm gonna have to work my ass off to get the chronology right for this.

Disclaimer:Friggin mangastream severs filling up, making me wait two hours to catch the new update.

* * *

**Her face was marred with indecency**

The storm had calmed by the following morning, though the sky was still haunted by grey clouds. Faint rays of sunlight broke through the dull blanket casting a shine upon the droplets on the leaves and the still damp earth. The weather was considerably clearer, but the path had been deemed too unstable for anyone to use. This message had been passed by a young guard, who had revealed the reason as he slipped and slid through the mud on his way to spread word around.

Naruto and Yagura stood at the back entrance to the palace, closing the doors behind them as they prepared to take their leave. But they were in no real hurry, and so leant forward on the railing as they viewed the terrain they would have to travel upon. Rocks filled a great deal of the view, from a steep hill down to a giant's gravel path, outlined with plateaus on either side. The boulders had been painted black by the god of storms, turning the almost blue rocks into a sea of beetles.

The Oto nin remained in the palace, helping the preparations that were finally getting underway. As it was agreed with the new Daimyo, Yoinokuchi and the former Otogakure were to receive a village further east, one of Ta no Kuni's most valuable and therefore the Daimyo most wanted protection for. It was this point that was still fresh in the two Jinchuuriki's minds, and naturally so. "Man, and I thought making a hidden village was hard!" Naruto remarked, still wearing the grin he was so far unable to rid himself of. "We got ninja, we got a village, we got income, what more do we need?"

He had to wait a moment for an answer, as Yagura gave it some serious thought. The straw haired boy raised his chin from his propped arm for a moment, just long enough to offer a reply. "No point asking me, it's Utakata who knows about these sort of things." he mumbled, before slumping back onto the banister once more. "All we have are the bare essentials, and most basic of that. We need more money, more ninja, and more time. After that, who knows?"

Naruto let his head drop onto the red wood, taking a slight moment of mourning for his lost feeling of elation. The king of wet blankets had done it again. "Well we got the Hizuma clan, and like, sixty Oto nin?" he speculated, looking very relaxed for someone usually so overly enthused. He counted a total of around seventy ninja, which was pretty good by his reckoning. "Once we put in an academy and get some of those ninja to start teaching, we can have Genin doing D-ranks and stuff while the older ones get on missions and building and things like that."

Yagura cocked a brow at his half sleeping leader, wondering where thinking like that had come from. But then he remembered something, his brows arcing as he looked out to the mile of stones ahead. "Right, that's Konoha's style isn't it?" he asked, crossing his arms on the wood. He remembered a time when he tried to get his memory jogging, by asking Utakata about the differences between the five hidden villages. "Konoha put most of its attention on the education system, right?"

"You trying to piss me off or something?"

The Sanbi Jinchuuriki couldn't help but chuckle there, with a slightly apologetic smile on his face. Though he didn't know much about the ninja system, he knew that there were few people among the Jinchuuriki who would be glad to be connected with their former villages. "Heh, what are you getting so wound up about?" he asked, casting a glance to the blond haired boy for a second. But when all he got was a grumble in reply, he began to lazily look around again. Through the mounds of black rocks, he spotted the body of the assassin from last night, and once more tried to figure out what that man's purpose had been. Hadn't he said he was going to test- "Something's happening." he suddenly said, gripping the banister and leaning forward.

Naruto looked in that direction, not quite sure what he was expecting to see. But like Yagura, he was soon hit with a serious look as he realised that the body of the person the Daimyo called Jin, was being approached by a figure in black. Neither boy wasted a moment vaulting over the railing, running towards the person hidden behind a large, black hooded cloak. That person, who was a little distance away, cast a glance to them before crouching down to Jin's body. The two Yoinokuchi members skidded to a halt not far away from this stranger, both wearing demanding looks. "Who the hell are-" Naruto began, before he was interrupted by a shocking voice.

"Is that enough… Kabuto-sama?"

Naruto stared frozen, his eyes fixed upon the body of Jin. Somehow, impossibly, the young man was opening his eyes to look up at the hooded figure. The blood from last night had been washed away by the rain, and he was showing signs of pneumonia. He had survived Naruto's attack, and remained out in the storm all night long? "No way!" Naruto exclaimed, voicing his disbelief with a stunned expression. Beside him, Yagura was feeling the same. He too knew that when Naruto returned last night, the boy had to be dead. No one could survive after fighting with Naruto, not in conditions like this. If the fight hadn't killed them, the cold would have.

Their attentions lifted as the hooded figure slowly looked up at them again. As that mysterious person straightened up, Naruto caught a flash of light reflecting off of round glasses, and bore witness to the coldest smiles he had ever seen. "Yeah… that'll do I suppose." said the person Jin called Kabuto. That man looked almost subhuman, with his skin as pale as snow and cracked like a vase glued clumsily together. His golden eyes were marked with slits, his lids outlined with purple serpentine markings. Wavy grey hair cast over his brow and hung by his temples, giving him a cool look which only made him creepier. "I'd rather it was more, but it looks like I'm going to have to improvise."

Yagura tensed at the feeling he got from this person, a killing intent reeking of sadistic pleasure. He looked to his side to speak to Naruto, realising in surprise that his leader was still frozen solid. _"… Naruto?" _he thought, studying his associate's flitting eyes worriedly. Naruto stood deadly still, but was looking at Kabuto frantically, almost desperately. _"What are you seeing?"_

Even if Yagura had asked that question aloud, there was no possible way Naruto could easily answer. What he saw was not something he could easily put into words; his thoughts alone were far beyond his comprehension. _"This guy… his energies are going insane!"_ the swordsman told himself, as he witnessed the torrential auras of this mysterious stranger. His physical and mental energy both seemed to be fluctuating sometimes, and corroding at others. _"He's a walking bomb, how the hell is he alive?"_

Both Naruto and Yagura jumped slightly as Kabuto suddenly whipped his head around, the gold markings on his hood glistening like a snake's wink. When he turned his head back, he wore a thin smirk that couldn't conceal the spike in dark intentions. "Looks like I'll have to hurry, company is coming." he said, wasting no time. He shifted his arm ever so slightly to point at Jin, his eyes flashing dangerously as he watched the two Jinchuuriki for their reactions. "I wonder if you'll thank me for this."

Without further warning, the two boy's gazes were forced upon the sleeve of Kabuto's cloak, where something huge had just bolted out. A long, thick snake had protruded from that space, diving straight into Jin's stomach without a moment for consideration. Kabuto completely ignored the spurt of blood and the cry of pain from his dying subordinate, waiting only to see the faces of the two people watching.

Jin was changing, and changing fast. His hair was retracting, and losing colour at an alarming rate. His body shrunk slowly, and his eyes took on a different shape. On his left cheek, just below his eye, a black marking like a stitched up scar started to appear. When his hair turned to a dim gold, and his eyes to a pupilless pink, Naruto couldn't resist looking at Yagura. This time, it was _that_ person who was frozen solid. Within moments, Jin had taken on the same appearance, as Yagura himself.

The two of them watched the second Yagura, both knowing what others would probably dismiss. This was no transformation technique; this was more like a sealing Jutsu, being released. Naruto realised now, that the energies of Jin were very similar to Yagura's, bar the changes the real one had made in the past few months. He had little doubt about it, but no means to explain it. As for Yagura, he had no possible explanation for what he was seeing.

"Gah!" the ex-Kiri-nin cried, his hands suddenly reaching out to his leg. He and Naruto were shocked to discover the head of a much smaller snake peeking through the rocks, clutching on to Yagura' leg like a vice. Naruto wasted no time in dismembering the assaulting serpent, but it seemed the effect was already taken care of. Yagura grabbed his wound, but his face was not contorted in pain. His eyes were open to their fullest, almost fearfully so, and his mouth stretched to its widest. He had a look of complete terror, but was unable to say anything of it.

"YAGURA!" Naruto yelled, grabbing his blade and whipping around in a pure, destructive rage. He cut straight through Kabuto's mid section, but to his horror the serpentine stranger faded away into thin air, the place Naruto had cut burning away with flames. As the bespectacled man was about to vanish, he gave a small wave that showed absolutely no remorse. Naruto saw his energies disappear, and knew that he had already lost his chance. But with other things to concentrate on, he paid this little heed.

The Ekokaeten was quickly replaced on his back, his focus moving over to Yagura. The shorter boy had fallen to his knees, clutching the bite wound tight. His eyes were squeezed shut and his teeth gritted, containing whatever experience he was going through to the best of his abilities. Naruto crouched down beside him, his own eyes flitting over Yagura in a panicked state. The pulsating aura, the energy of the Bijuu, was going insane, blasting out of his body in a freakish frenzy. _"What the hell did that guy _do _to him?"_ he thought, as Yagura through his head down in agony.

Naruto lowered his own head to check on Yagura's expression, uncertain of what it was he should do. Then Yagura's neck snapped up, his eyes splitting open. What Naruto then saw was enough to make him fall on his rear, a sight so unusual that he could never have expected it. In the centre of Yagura's empty amaranth eyes, small black pupils were growing in. With those tiny dots came a shine to his eyes, one that Naruto would never have known his fellow outcast was missing. Then, once again, Yagura hung his head, his face disappearing in shadow.

The young man's grunts were barely noticeable, his strength of will kept them well contained. The fluctuations of his energies were settling down, to almost the same as they had been. But there was one thing that didn't go back to normal. His Bijuu energy pulsed slightly stronger than before, and in Naruto's opinion, it was more wholesome, if volatile, than it had ever been in the past. _"Is this-"_ he thought, his brow creasing in confusion. Suddenly he whipped his head up to the place that Kabuto had been, and then to the second Yagura with the gaping hole in his stomach. An idea came to his head, a memory from quite a while ago.

They were in Ta no Kuni, the place where Oto no Kuni had once been in control. That village had been under the rule of a person known as Orochimaru, who had small bases scattered even in other countries. Naruto recalled one of those bases in particular, a place that he and Utakata had visited once on a mission from Akatsuki. It was that place, where they had found a nest of freaks, mutated by the power of a giant eye. The eye of the Sanbi no Kyodaigame. _"But that's impossible, we wrecked that place!" _Naruto told himself, as he looked back to Yagura with a tense face. Utakata had been in such a rage about what he had seen that there was nothing left to do but obliterate that base and everything in it. _"But no matter how I look, I can't help but see-"_

"We're surrounded."

It took him a moment to realise it, but Naruto found that what Yagura spoke was true. He looked around and immediately noticed it, what Kabuto had mentioned before. In the trees of the plateaus above and the rocks down below, Shinobi had been deep in hiding. But after what had just happened to Yagura, it seemed they were choosing now to make their move. The multitude of energies Naruto's eyes picked up told him there had to be at least twenty ninja here, but why?

Before he could come to a conclusion however, Yagura stepped past him. As the Sanbi Jinchuuriki moved on by, he gave Naruto a short word of warning. "Your sword has a barrier, you should use it." he said, giving Naruto only the shortest of glances. Then he continued on without further explanation, taking a quick but steady pace as ninja made their presences aware. When he was just thirty yards away, he came to a stop, before speaking loud and clear. "Ninja of Kirigakure no Sato, listen up…"

All around the ninja stopped, Naruto included. Everyone was listening to the young Shinobi, forced to pause by the air of authority he exuded. Yagura took several moments pause, before spreading his legs apart and lowering his stance. "Actually, forget about it." he continued, with a quietly pissed off look on his face. Before anyone could stop him, his hands became a blur as they flew through a string of seals that no one could make out. "Just die."

Almost without thinking about it, Naruto's hand flew to the hilt of his sword, gripping it tight while his attention remained on Yagura. The energies inside that boy where converging into his hands and feet, building in massive amounts. But to the blonde swordsman's surprise, it wasn't just mental and physical energy being funnelled into the attack. Yagura pressed his hands against the ground, before lifting his eyes to look straight on ahead. "My name is Yagura, the former Yondaime Mizukage of Kirigakure." he said, before his brow creased into a look of pure determination. "The Fuinjutsu Sovereign!"

As he said this, the rocks beneath his feet became covered by a dark circle expanding from his centre. This circle spread out over the rocks at a rate faster than any of the Shinobi here, bar perhaps Naruto, could run. Within moments, an incredible radius was filled with this giant circle, which was then the point where act two began. The darkness of the huge disk faded away, replaced with a perfect reflection of the world above. The Kiri Shinobi were in shock at what they saw, but their shock soon moved to other places; they couldn't move.

"Fuinjutsu: World of the Mirage!"

A number of the Shinobi suddenly cried out in shock, as they began to sink into the mirror at their feet. It was like descending into a pool of cold ooze, where no amount of chakra would allow them to cling to the surface. Though quite a few of them were caught in shock, the majority was able to keep their heads. These were Jounin of Kirigakure, they weren't about to lose themselves to this trick. And Yagura was an easy target, crouching there with his hands and feet clinging to his Jutsu.

The former Mizukage looked around him as he saw a multitude of projectiles headed his way. Kunai, shuriken, even spheres of water were flying his way at breakneck speeds. However, for someone like Yagura this was no problem. The sclera of his eyes began darkening to a deep, bruised shade of purple. A red, bubbling chakra rose from his body, beginning to envelope him in a shroud. But it was never allowed to be completed, for something came his way much faster than he could react to.

"The hell you think you're doing, stealing all the action?"

In the moment Yagura was stunned, Naruto took care of all the attacks that were coming their way. Before his feet even touched the ground, he threw his hands together in a cross ram seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he called. Flickers of light appeared all around him, bringing forth six copies of Naruto who were also still mid air. Without taking a moment to collect themselves, the now six Naruto's followed up with another attack, throwing their hands out and crying out at the top of their lungs. "FUUTON: REPPUSHO!"

An explosion of wind pulsed out from their palms, sending a force that struck the coming projectiles either off course or into oblivion. Explosions created from the paper tags attached to kunai were triggered prematurely, and metal scattered uselessly onto the mirror on the ground. In an instant all the attacks were negated, and the Kage Bunshin dispelled. And once all that was done, Naruto returned to the ground with his hand back on his hilt, his barrier restored.

The enemy Shinobi had no more time for a second attack. The mirror below pulled them in, their reflections getting replaced with their actual bodies. Even Naruto was in shock, as an area filled with Shinobi suddenly became eerily empty. Then the mirror at Yagura's feet began to disappear, spreading out and returning the rocks beneath to the sun. even before the Jutsu was gone completely, Yagura rose to his feet and looked at Naruto. The blond boy returned the gaze, his impressed state replaced by a serious look.

"Yagura… you remember, don't you?"

"… Yeah."

* * *

A few days later, back at the temple in Hi no Kuni, Naruto and Yagura had finally returned. The place had changed very little, though it seemed there had been a heavy rain just like what they had experienced back in Ta no Kuni not so long ago. The ground was darkened and the moss was like a wet carpet, squelching under each step. The smell of water lingered in an almost nasty way. If no special measures had been taken for this, it wasn't hard to predict that many of the people here would fall ill.

Of course, this was at the back of the two boy's minds. Naruto had been uneasy around Yagura ever since the revelation about his memories, and Yagura had been understandably silent too. Both were rather troubled at what was going to happen during the talks that would come later. Even if Yagura wanted to hide what had happened, the fact that the mysterious person named Kabuto had such involvement with things related to Yagura was impossible to ignore.

One thing that was not how they remembered it was that the Hizuma nin were even more active than ever. From the looks of things they had finally settled in, and were now by the looks of things cleaning up. From the blood stains the two of them had passed on the way here, it wasn't difficult to see just why everyone was so anxious. "Hey, do you know where Utakata is?" Naruto asked, stopping one of the boys who was passing them by. That boy looked at Naruto in surprise, before jerking his head back to the place designated the medical bay. With this answer, and a quick look between the two Jinchuuriki, they suddenly quickened the pace.

The first person they met, out of all the people they knew, was Han. The oldest of the group was stood outside the makeshift infirmary, still clad in all his armour. He looked over to the two younger boys as they approached, straightening up and unfolding his arms. Naruto and Yagura were forced to stop as he stood in their way, raising his hand to make them pause. He watched them both with sharp, careful eyes, giving them either silent warning or perhaps telling them to prepare themselves. In either case, Naruto was just made more nervous.

Yagura however stepped forward, his brow creased with no other signs of a reaction. He stared deep into Han's eyes, while the taller Shinobi looked back. It took Han a moment to realise the change, the pupils that changed the similarity those two had shared. Understanding that there were things needing to be taken care of, Han stepped out of the way and allowed them to pass. With a slight nod of gratitude, Yagura and Naruto moved on by, making their way inside and steeling themselves for what they would see.

"You're mean Utakata-kuuun!"

The two homecoming ninja stepped in on a surprising scene. In the only two beds currently available in the infirmary, Utakata and Fuu were playfully fighting. That is, Fuu was trying to slap the bubble nin, while said bubble nin was pushing her face away with the advantage of his longer arms. In the corner of the room, they were both ignored by Sakura, who was studying a chart with some interest. All three of these people however stopped what they were doing, when they detected the presences in the room. And out of those three, Sakura was the only one who didn't freeze.

Yagura looked at his alleged brother, and his pupil, with slow sweeping eyes. The fun and games ended when those two realised the person they had hoped to be late had in fact been early. They quickly settled down, Fuu falling much more silent than Utakata, who couldn't help greeting his fellow team members with a bashful grin. "Hey, so you're back?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "This can be explained-"

"Useless."

Utakata, Fuu, Naruto and Sakura came to a sudden stop, their eyes widening to their fullest. Everyone lifted their attention to Yagura, who met no one's gaze, yet at the same time gave a frozen look to everyone. Without warning, he strode to the space between the two beds, before suddenly reaching out and grabbing Fuu's wrist. "Ah!" the girl cried, as her arm was hoisted up into the air. Yagura's eyes were fixed upon her palm, where three black waves had appeared. While he stared at this, Fuu's shocked expression dwindled, replaced with quiet shame as she let her eyes fall to the bed.

Behind them, Utakata believed Yagura to be displaying yet another example of his unsociable behaviour. To counter this, he lifted the blanket from him and took a step out of the bed, a cross look on his usually smiling face. "Hey niisan, cut it out!" he ordered, as he reached out to pull Yagura's arm away. But the moment he touched his closest friend, Yagura whipped his head around and glared hatefully into the other person's eyes. Their pupils met, and Utakata's face contorted in horror, his mouth opening wide. "No… you can't be… that wasn't the real you!"

Before anyone could try and stop this situation, Yagura grabbed on to Utakata's kimono with his free hand, pulling him in close enough that there was little to no distance between their eyes. "You don't have the right to decide which is the real me." he said, his voice by no means the kind that would be said to someone so close to him. With just a little effort, he pushed Utakata back onto the bed, the effort made easier by the boy's ongoing shock. "If you wanted to make that incomplete version of me real, you should have tried to stop me from becoming this in the first place."

"This guy had the Sanbi's eye." Naruto said, earning Utakata's rabid attention. There was no need to elaborate, but Utakata was still far from understanding. Back then, at that mission, Utakata had told Naruto some things. Despite how Yagura looked, he had been the Mizukage of Kirigakure for around twenty years, yet he still looked no older than seventeen.

What was more, some time during those twenty years Yagura had been attacked, and the Sanbi's right eye came under the possession of a person named Orochimaru. For that eye to return to Yagura, and to have an effect like this, it must have remembered everything Yagura had once been. Now that the Sanbi was complete, Yagura's memories were returned to him. And it was for that reason, that Utakata seemed so horrified.

While Naruto and Utakata remembered that time, Yagura turned back to his miserable student. He let go of her hand and instead gripped her shoulder, forcing her to turn and look up at him. While she two realised the change, she was given no time to process it like Utakata had. "I warned you." Yagura dangerously spoke, without a shred of compassion in his voice. "I told you not to let that happen, I _trained_ you so it _wouldn't_ happen. But in spite of this, you let it happen. You… you…"

Fuu winced in pain, as Yagura's grip on her shoulder grew tighter. But even so, she couldn't draw her fearful eyes from Yagura's, nor could anyone else look away. Killing intent leaked out of him, through his clenched teeth and the choked exhales he made. Fuu was the only one who could see his eyes however, and in turn hers couldn't possibly be more distraught. "You're too unconscious!" Yagura exclaimed, his eyes hidden in the shadow of his brow. "You treat everything like it's going to work out, relying on everyone else! Well stop it! Stop counting on other people, and start counting on yourself!"

Silence carried out from the other people in the room, with only Yagura's grunting exhales to break it. Several times he opened his mouth to speak, but was too caught up in whatever conflict was waging in his head. He suddenly turned away from Fuu, looking straight to the wall opposite as if he hated it. Then, with no other words, he stormed out of the room with his hands clenched into fists. Naruto didn't stand in his way, and neither did Han.

With the room quiet once again, everyone felt kind of numb. Their eyes were on the door for several moments, before a loud thud caused them to look at the beds. Utakata had struck the bedside cabinet with his fist, his twisted expression looking almost as bad as Yagura's. "Don't leave him alone!" he exclaimed, his other hand gripping bandages wrapped around his stomach. Sakura moved over in an attempt to get him to calm down, but he only had eyes for Naruto right now. "If he's alone, he'll do something!"

Even though he said this, Naruto was a little slow on the uptake. Before he could comprehend what "something" was, Fuu had already thrown the blanket off of her and ran from the room, heading in the same direction as Yagura had left. The swordsman, the bubble nin and the medic all looked after her, wondering if she was the right person to go after Yagura in this situation.

But before anyone could come to a decision on this, more was to come their way. From the other side of the door, Gaara appeared. His eyes had been after the running Fuu, but when he noticed Naruto in the infirmary his brow arced for a moment. Then that moment passed, replaced with a solid stare as he read a dangerous situation. "We'll hold a meeting later." he said, as he looked to the other disquieted faces in the room. "There are some things that need to be discussed."

Naruto blinked stupidly for a moment, before remembering what it was Gaara had been doing. Shaking his head, he realised that it was strange that he, Han and Fuu had made it back so early. "Ah… yeah, sure thing." he replied, doing his best to calm his fragmented mind. Right now he wasn't sure what would be bigger news; the events that transpired at the Daimyo of at no Kuni's palace, or whatever reason that the Hachibi retrieval team was here, with one member literally just getting out of care. "I'll meet you there."

* * *

At the back end of the temple, where the slabs were fewer and scattered, Yagura sat reclined against one which had risen at an angle. He didn't mind the mild dampness; he was used to cold climates from his time in Kirigakure. The moisture in this place paled in comparison to the near ever present mist that lingered in the depths of that village. It was enough however, to send him into a bitter nostalgia as he remembered those days.

The look on Utakata's face when he realised the truth, what he must have felt, lingered on Yagura's mind. That person who claimed they were closer than family, knew nothing of what Yagura was feeling right now. Though in actual fact, he couldn't exactly figure it out either. It wasn't accurate to say he was mixed up with his feelings. It was more like he was in disagreement with himself, the Mizukage Yagura against the missing nin Yagura. "The way Utakata always dodged my questions, I was sure that if I ever found out the truth, I would feel ashamed of myself." he said, pulling his legs up slightly and resting an arm on a knee. "But no matter how I look at it, I don't feel any remorse for what I've done. It all makes sense, it all still seems correct to me."

He didn't look as Fuu sat down beside him, hugging her knees as she silently listened. She had known from the start that Yagura had been the Mizukage of Kirigakure, it was in fact the point she recognised him for. Yagura had deeply considered probing her knowledge, to see if she knew anything that Utakata wouldn't say. But he had refrained himself from doing so, not wanting to burden Fuu with his feelings.

Letting his head drop down to his lap, he looked at his short body with narrow eyes, clear signs that he was trying to understand something difficult were present within them. "I've been the Mizukage for over two decades, everything I did was to keep the village strong." he continued, his mind returning to events that he couldn't even begin to speak of. "The village became known as the Bloody Mist because it needed to be. The village was in a state of despair, income was low and population high. Shinobi graduating were of a poor quality, and died very young. What else was there to do? We had to downsize, but we couldn't afford to lose any more money. So we made sure only the strongest got out, and then we worked them until they were even stronger."

Not knowing what to say to this, Fuu remained silent with her eyes on the ground before her. Though she had known Yagura's former position, and the nickname Kirigakure had at that time, the exact details hadn't been disclosed to her. Even now she wasn't completely sure, but the way Yagura said "downsizing" made her feel uneasy. "But… weren't you under a Genjutsu at the time?" she asked, her voice still quiet after what had happened not so long ago. She thought about what Utakata had said, and how Yagura had seemed to blame his friend for something. "Wasn't that the reason you-"

"I already said it; I don't regret what I did."

Fuu flinched at her sensei's sharp tone, her words escaping her as quickly as they had come. Yagura watched her from the corner of his eye, easily reading her thoughts with that simple glance. With a sigh, he turned his gaze back to the forest. "Genjutsu can only control your perception, not your way of thinking." he explained, wondering to himself why he felt the need to elaborate for Fuu. "At a high enough level, a Shinobi can create an illusion that adapts to the target's mind, and can manipulate more than the senses. The Genjutsu I was under was like that. It made me associate what I did with what was right. Essentially, my perception of right and wrong has been twisted so much, that even knowing this I don't want to change it. Even if I did, I couldn't."

Once more he let out a sigh, getting the feeling that he had spoken outside Fuu's realm of understanding. He was certain that if he tried to explain anymore, she couldn't possibly follow his outlook. _"Maybe that's why Genjutsu is the most dangerous."_ he thought to himself. Injuries from Taijutsu and Ninjutsu could heal, but no amount of recovery could ever completely erase the effects of a powerful Genjutsu. Pulling his legs in tighter, Yagura's mouth became hidden behind his hand as his pupils flitted across nothingness. _"Maybe that's why I like it best."_

"Um… but if you didn't feel guilty, you wouldn't be thinking about it so hard, right?"

Yagura tensed, his attention suddenly turning back to Fuu. Was she an idiot, to think that he could have his mind on anything else at this time? Twenty years worth of memories had returned to him in an instant, even the best of minds couldn't easily concentrate like that. "I don't understand what you meant by unconscious, but aren't you the same?" she asked, causing confusion in her sensei to grow even larger. "If I… I mean…"

She left her explanation hanging, and as a result Yagura grew annoyed. If she was going to say something, she should have just said it, rather than worry if he'd get upset. _"I mean, that's what _I'd_… do…" _he told himself, before leaving his own thought hanging too. Just a second later, he scared Fuu with a sudden groan and face palm, almost wiping his pupils back out of his eyes with his self anger. _"Damn it! … I get it…" _he thought, as his hand slipped back down past his mouth. "I'm too cold… and you're too warm."

Fuu could think of nothing to say to that, but her cheeks turned to a shade of pink that came from being called warm. She hugged her knees closer to her chest, trying desperately to come up with a reply, but sure that if she spoke she would stammer. "I- is that so…" she mumbled, saying all she could manage. Though there was a niggling feeling that even if she did say something, Yagura already would know it.

Even though he had been so detached before, Yagura couldn't deny that he had already relaxed. Being around Fuu had that effect, though the same could usually be said for Utakata. It seemed then, that deep down he was a rather lonely person. "I'm not the person you knew a week ago." he said, not letting his feelings get in the way of the things that needed to be spoken. "Those days have been overcome by twenty years worth of memories. Sorry, but I'm not the person you like."

He winced as he suddenly felt a brush of wind hit his face; Fuu whipped her head around so fast he actually saw her wince in pain. But she ignored that feeling, her tanned skin turning a rosy red as her mouth began fluttering uncontrollably. "I-I-I- what was that?" she exclaimed, suddenly shaking her head from left to right as if trying to rid herself of a buzzing wasp. But shake though she did, she couldn't stop the vapours rising from her body; a clear sign of her highest embarrassment. Realising this, she stopped wasting her energy and instead stared rigidly at Yagura, before a powerful column of steam blasted from her head. "I… I… I…"

Yagura couldn't help slipping on a crooked smile as he looked at his flustered student. From the looks of things, even she hadn't completely come to terms with her feelings. But after what Yagura had gone through recently, he couldn't be more certain. There were very few people who would come running after a person who did what he did, and fewer who would do it without vengeful intentions. "I owe you an apology." he said, deciding that he would not avert his eyes until he had confessed everything. "Actually, it was Utakata who told me. But since then, I've been using your feelings as a means to make you stronger… I guess that's all the more proof that I'm someone like the Mizukage of the Bloody Mist village."

Fuu stared half dead at Yagura, the vapours fading as her already low hydration levels dwindled. She felt that if she became any more embarrassed, she might lose consciousness again. _"Utakata-kun knows… please let me die…" _she thought, as the desire to cry grew within her. However, she did her best to shake those feelings away, taking in the rest of what Yagura had said. With this, she became a lot quieter, looking down at her legs in an almost forlorn manner. "I… if it's ok…" she began, swallowing hard, "… can I see for myself first?"

Looking down at the shy girl, Yagura was caught speechless. He had been certain that Fuu would be too embarrassed to say anything, let alone something like that. Yet in spite of his surprise, he got over it without even trying. _"Damn… I keep misreading you."_ he thought, as a thin smile appeared once again. Reclining back onto the rock, he reached out with his hand and placed it on Fuu's head, knowing it to be the safest place to touch at this time. "If that's what you want, then I don't mind." he said, as he felt Fuu tense up. Even without looking, he could read her intentions clearly. The embarrassment, the nervousness, and the glimmer of hope she felt as she slowly leant towards him. There was no way he could resist. "But you should know, I'm thirty eight years old. If I get involved with someone, I'll be looking to go all the way."

It may have been cruel, but that was one aspect that was never going to change. He may have regretted it however, as the last of Fuu's body fluids exploded from her skull, resulting in her fainting on his shoulder. A faint chuckle slipped out of his lips, as he slipped his arm around her. He allowed a few moments to just sit there, before deciding that it would be really bad if Fuu died because of him. So without wasting any more time, he picked her up, and headed to bother their medic once again.


	15. The viscosity of independence

There were a lot of sudden changes in plan that came with writing this chapter. Hell, the last couple of pages were pulled straight out my ass, polished and put on display! Not to say I don't like what I did, I've been meaning to figure out where to go with that part of the story. Now I got my answer, things should be so much smoother. However I am noticing anohter writing tick that's been getting on my nerves, so progress tends to jitter while I try to figure out how to rephrase what I'm saying. Cos I couldn't even manage that sentence before this one without doing it. Shit.

Disclaimer: I really, REALLY hope that a certain swordsman of the mist has a nice little trick up his sleeve. Cos the way that last chapter went, I'm getting a bad feeling.

* * *

**The viscosity of independence entraps the curious**

It was later that day, that Yoinokuchi had its promised meeting. In the main temple room, the only person not belonging to that group was Rei, who had been tasked with keeping an eye on the recovering Utakata. Though he was suffering a wound that had been in any sense suicide, he stood without the slightest notice of it. The reason for this was unknown to anyone in the room, but there wasn't a single mind who hadn't been paying it thought.

As he was the leader, it was left to Naruto to open the discussion. Though neither Fuu nor Yagura had made an appearance since earlier, there was nothing much that would be missed without them. And so with this in mind, he decided to get his news out of the way first. "We've taken over what's left of Otogakure, giving us about sixty extra ninja included with what we already have." he said, leaning forward on the stone table with crossed arms. "But there was a problem at the Daimyo's palace. An assassin got in and killed him. We took care of that though, and the Daimyo was replaced with his son, so everything was taken care of… but…"

He considered for a moment what he should say about the event with Yagura and Kabuto. Though it was important information, it was really not his place to speak of such things. He told himself he would leave that for Yagura to tell, and so went on to the points that mattered. "The new Daimyo gave us a village to the east, a place called Seiryuutoshi." he continued, saying all he could remember. "That place will be ready for us in about a week, but it wasn't made to be a hidden village. It'll take some time to get it up to scratch, you cool with taking that, Han?"

He glanced over to the person who had taken on the task of crafting what would be their hidden village. Though Han had neglected to remove his armour, and so was still masked by a face plate, the look he gave Naruto had the faint glimmer that he himself often possessed when faced with a challenge. All Naruto could do was grin and nod, feeling quite sure the job would be taken care of well. Looking over to Gaara, he steeled himself for the bad news he was now certain to be coming. "Something go wrong on your end?" he asked.

Gaara had never been an easy person to get information out of. He was a firm believer that if you really wanted something, you would get it by your own means. A fine philosophy in most cases, but a troublesome one for his comrades. "It seems there is a situation regarding the Hachibi Jinchuuriki." he said, taking light of the situation to say what was needed of him. "Fuu-san was attacked because she was suspected of something involving Kirabi-san. From what I could understand, it seems that Kirabi-san has left Kumogakure, most likely not of his own free will."

Naruto and Utakata, the only two present who had been unaware of this, stared at Gaara with defined frowns. If neither of them were making a mistake, then what Gaara was sating was that Kirabi had been _taken_, not unlike how Yagura had been removed from Kiri all those months ago. "While Fuu-san was recovering, I did some investigations." Gaara continued, folding his arms as he readied himself to disclose something even Han wasn't aware of. "It seems that there was an attack made on a place nearby to Kumogakure, which was where Kirabi-san was said to have been. Afterwards, the place was in ruins."

A quiet tone rang out at this piece of information, not a person in the room taking it lightly. Though no one was surprised to hear of an attack on a Jinchuuriki, quite the opposite in fact, the aftermath was rather daunting. If there was no Jinchuuriki to account for, then the body had to be moved, dead or alive. In that case, there was very little that Yoinokuchi could do until something happened.

Naturally hating outcomes like this, Naruto was the worst to say such a thing. But even though he knew it would be a pain, there was no other choice present to them at this moment in time. "If we leave it to Kumo to relocate their Jinchuuriki, they'll either kill him or put him in deep security." he said, with a look mixed of both stress and annoyance. He straightened up from his slouched position, knowing his next words would be unexpected, and therefore requiring of a more serious stance. "But Kumo's got the best chance of finding him… or at least technically they do."

He hadn't been wrong in his assumption, even Gaara seemed curious to find out what he was planning. Though in truth, he was still forming his thoughts himself. Turning away and leaning against the table, he gripped his chin between his fingers and thought deeply to himself. "We'll treat the situation like this; Kirabi is still alive and held captive by an unknown force." he said, watching the setting sun over the trees ahead of him. With only a part of him able to think ahead, the part that was in fact the Ekokaeten's consciousness, he wasn't as quick to state his thoughts as some of the others were. "If that's how it is, we need someone who knows a lot about "unknown forces". A guy who's connected… a guy like…"

His words hung off, leaving the others unsure of what he was going to say. For those who could see his face however, the growing grin was a positive indicator. The reason for this expression remained secret for only a few moments longer, as a loud, pulsating sound like blasts of wind slowly grew in volume. Each of the other Jinchuuriki had become worriedly curious about this intruding noise, staying back only by the expression of anticipation that Naruto was wearing. Their desire for answers in this case was also sated soon, as a dark figure dropped suddenly from above.

Wide eyes settled on the man in the black cloak, who remained crouched with a bowed head. As this person slowly straightened up, the Jinchuuriki were given the sight of red clouds on the cloak, of a very familiar nature. But it was the man's face that was given the most attention, the young visage half hidden behind thick bangs of blond hair, tied in a large topknot. His single visible eye cast a casual blue glance to the others in the room, before he raised a hand bearing a defined slit.

"Yo."

* * *

Together Yagura and Fuu climbed the stairs, finally making their way to the meeting one of the Hizuma Kunoichi had informed them about. They hadn't been in as much of a hurry as they perhaps should have been, but then it had taken longer than they thought to hydrate Fuu a second time. But the look on Sakura's face when they had returned for her aid; if not for her position they were sure they would have been lectured at the very least.

Now that Fuu was once again back on her feet, Yagura had thought she would return to her chipper self. But what he was met with instead was a noticeably more quiet Fuu, one who was feeling uncomfortably exposed. Of course, Yagura was far from confused as to the reason of this. After all, Fuu's feelings were out in the open, while his were still a mystery. He quite enjoyed that fact, in truth, because it meant that he had the higher ground. Though he was willing to let Fuu do as she wished to an extent, he had absolutely no intentions of changing their student-sensei relationship by saying things that lowered him to her level. _"God forbid."_

Reaching the top of the stairs, he had noticed in faint surprise that there was no sound of voices coming from within the temple chamber. Did that mean that the meeting was done, or were the others still waiting for the two of them to arrive? He hadn't felt that they had taken _that_ long, or that the meeting could possibly have passed by so swiftly. Even if little had happened on the Hachibi mission, Utakata would most likely have wanted to squeeze every drop of information regarding Yagura's returned memories. If that wasn't happening now, then Yagura knew he was in for a very bothersome time later.

But then when he walked into the room designated the base of operations, he and Fuu found that the reason for silence had not been what they were expecting. All of the others were staring at one man on the opposite side of the room, a person neither the two of them had ever seen before. However the cloak was more than definitive, the uniform of the criminal organisation known as "Akatsuki".

This knowledge provided Yagura with no answers to the question of the silence though. He knew perfectly well that Yoinokuchi was an organisation born from Akatsuki, that would never have existed without that group to allow it. As strange as it seemed, there wasn't a person in this room bar the stranger that wasn't indebted to Akatsuki. He, Utakata, Fuu, Naruto and even Gaara had been taken from their cruel lives, and Han was reunited with his daughter Rei. So it was definitely not a contemptuous visit, if someone from that group had arrived.

Fortunately for the latecomers, it was the loudmouth-slash-leader of Yoinokuchi who provided them with the answer to the tension that was high in the air. His expression was of clear shock and discomfort, his eyes fixed upon the newcomer in total disbelief. "What do you mean Akatsuki's going to war?" he demanded, taking a step forward that brought him closer to the man just two years his senior. "With who? What for?"

The man in the Akatsuki cloak didn't answer right away. The first thing he did was look towards Han and Rei, communicating something with a look that no one else could hope to comprehend. Though by the looks he received in return, it was possible that even then he wasn't understood fully. "This is why I requested to be the one to pass the intel on, instead of Zetsu." he explained, placing his hands on his waist and letting out a sigh as he anticipated a lot of bothersome yelling. "That guy will only distort what he should be telling you with what he actually would. When I say we're going to war, what I mean is that we are going to _start_ a war. A war between the smaller hidden villages, yeah?"

Even though he said that, no one felt any easier about it. Yoinokuchi was in the middle of trying to build a hidden village, what would happen if war broke out in a neighbouring country? More than that, at a time like this such a thing would only make locating the remaining Jinchuuriki all the more difficult. All in all it would lead to a very disadvantageous situation for Yoinokuchi. And if that was that case, wasn't that also disadvantageous to Akatsuki too?

While the Jinchuuriki's minds were on this point, the person to step forward next was not one of them. Rei was the one who drew the eyes of the stranger, a feat that didn't require much effort considering the history the two of them shared. "Dei-cha, I mean, Deidara-san." she began, her self correction causing her to look away for a moment. But when she looked back, she saw Deidara staring at her blankly. Somehow, that look made her a little numb. "Does this mean you'll be going to war as well?"

The man called Deidara regarded Rei for several long moments, while Han looked between the two silently. Deidara was a former student of Han's, and had shared a rather close relationship with Rei in the past. But when Deidara decided to betray Iwagakure with the aid of Han's brother Kirai, he set in store a chain of events that led to Rei being kidnapped by her own uncle. For years Rei had been maltreated by Kirai, until eventually she was rescued by the very person responsible for her kidnapping in the first place; Deidara.

With these thoughts in mind, it was a wonder that Deidara's attention to Rei sparked so little. But after she posed her question, he couldn't help reacting a little. "Well it's hardly surprising, is it?" he asked, with a suggestive raise of his hand. There was a glint in his eye that wasn't welcome in the realm of normal thinking; further evidence that Han may not be the best of sensei. "Where else is better to display my art, than in the midst of a battlefield? The sound of explosions ringing out all around, as transient as the lives of those who are just too close… isn't that beautiful?"

Where most people would be put off by talk like this, Rei had to smile at it. Though she wasn't really happy to hear him say things like that, it felt good to know that even after all this time he was as passionate about the things he liked as he was back then. However, there were a few people who missed that point, due to the other in which they were so wrapped up about. "Akatsuki wishes to hire us in aid of this mission, is that correct?" Gaara asked, looking over his folded arms to the rather dreamy eyed Deidara. "If it appears that the Jinchuuriki have allied themselves with one of those villages, then that village will be placed under the scrutiny of everyone else. Then if we seem to be helping someone else, things will get chaotic."

To this, Deidara had little to reply. Though he had asked to be the one to pass on the news, that was due to his own ulterior motives. He highlighted this point with a disinterested shrug, signifying his otherwise plain indifference to Yoinokuchi's problems. "We've heard that you've been working towards crafting a hidden village." he replied, his words seemingly off topic, yet more relevant than most realised. "Leader-sama has said that he will make sure that Akatsuki's business won't cause too much trouble, but that if nothing happens it will look suspicious. That's the reason why he is asking only for three of you, two to go to one village and one to go to the other. You'll meet up with us and we'll take things from there, yeah?"

Though he had been hoping for a quick response, he was disappointed by the troubled looks Yoinokuchi shared with each other. He already counted on Naruto and Gaara's decisions, to which he was sure they would definitely say yes, but he couldn't say the same for the others. Numbers worked against the end he was here to meet, and so to compensate he knew it would be better to add something more. "By the way, we've also got a lead on the Yonbi, if you're interested."

This of course was the point that would turn the tide of the group's mood. Yoinokuchi looked sharply at him, while he gave them only a questioning look in return. But he was soon to find that this wasn't so much a democratic group, as almost everyone in the room turned their eyes to Naruto. The blond boy was their leader, so naturally it was his input that was valued most overall.

Naruto's frown deepened as he thought hard about the request being given to them. He could see that the Rokubi was just to grease the wheels; there was no way he could just turn Pein down after everything that had happened. That and the fact that his own sensei was a member of that group. But it was also true that he had his own agenda to think of, or rather, the agenda of the entire group.

With a sigh, he realised there was only one choice he could make, since all others held negative repercussions. "We've got some bad attention from the hidden villages, Konoha even knows where we are." he said, leaning back on the stone table once again. He recalled well that the reason one of those villages hated his group so much was because of Deidara's harebrained scheme of taking an entire town hostage. Though that had turned out a success, even Naruto was still wary as to why there had been no repercussions yet. "We keep it small scale; just rumours that we were there, got it?"

Whether or not this was Akatsuki's intention, the smirk on Deidara's face showed otherwise. He reached his hand into his cloak, digging deep in search of something. What he pulled out was a small rectangle of paper, one that he tossed to Naruto like a shuriken. "This is your down payment." he said, as Naruto looked at the cheque in his hand. "You'll get double that once we're finished with this little job. The targets are Amegakure and Takigakure. We'll take whoever you think is best, send them all to Kusa and they'll get intercepted there."

Without awaiting further questioning, Deidara leapt high into the air. Soon after came the pulsating sound again, and everyone was treated to the sight of a huge beige eagle departing across the skyline. Without waiting for the artificial bird to disappear, Naruto turned and threw the cheque over to Gaara, who regarded it with a cocked brow. "Looks like we've got a job ahead of us." he said, placing his hands on the table as he looked across the surface with a smirk. "They're paying big, big enough that we can make a start to building up our village. Because of that, we'll send Han and Utakata to Ta no Kuni. I, Gaara and Yagura will be the ones to take this mission on. Keep this under wraps from the two Konoha girls; this is more than we can let them know. As far as they're concerned, we're going out on missions. Fuu, it's up to you to watch house, make sure they don't make any unnecessary arrangements. Everyone got it?"

Though everyone was still uneasy about this sudden change of pace, they were invigorated by Naruto's quick assessment. Utakata and Fuu both nodded in reply, while the others offered no objection. Seeing that none was coming, Naruto allowed himself to relax. Slouching down on the table, he began to think of what preparations needed to be taken care of, like whether or not there was any need to bring-

"They're going to start the next Great War."

The moment of relaxation was ripped from Naruto as he suddenly tensed, his eyes opening wide. Everyone had suddenly turned their attention to Yagura, whose eyes had turned to an icy stare at nothingness. Of the people present in the room, only two gave verbal responses, the sort that made everyone's blood run as cold as Yagura's look. Gaara and Han both let out sharp exhales, their expressions suddenly stunned. "The supply lines!" Gaara exclaimed, showing a very rare display of shock.

Yagura nodded in response to this, while everyone else stayed confused. In an attempt to attest to this, he headed over to a notice board on the wall at the left of the room. There, pinned to the wall, was a large map of the five nations. He lifted his hand to the area where the three aforementioned villages, Ame, Kusa and Taki lay, before making a slight sweeping motion to the left. "If Ame and Taki go to war, Kusa will inevitably get involved." he explained, keeping his focus pinned solely on the map in front of him. "In doing so, Tsuchi no Kuni will be cut off from the entire northern border, cutting its already weak economy in half. There's no way Iwa won't get involved in something like this. Then from that… things could easily go to hell."

Yoinokuchi was as silenced by this information as they were of Yagura's understanding of it. If what he said was true, and with his returned memories of being Mizukage they likely were, then the mission they had just been given was a prelude to something even bigger. If that was the case, then tough times were ahead of them. Keeping all of this in mind, Naruto straightened up and folded his arms decisively. "If what you say is going to happen happens, then there's nothing we can do to stop it." he said, earning the eyes of those who realised the true intentions of their mission before him. "Akatsuki's not gonna stop even if we don't help them. If that's the case, then there's a good chance that the villages will be looking for power like ours, even if it means taking big measures to get it. The best we can do is make this war so big that they don't have any forces to spare."

Yagura and Naruto both stared deep into each other's eyes, looking not as comrades, but as the two people in the group who were never quite on the same page. Even though Naruto was thinking rationally, something everyone was grateful for, his decisions were still rash and dangerous. "Then we'll need to throw in everything we have." Yagura said, stunning the others with his agreement to what Naruto was saying. He turned his back to the map and looked around everyone, most notably Gaara and the leader. "If we're going in as Jinchuuriki, we'll need to use the strength of our Bijuu, not our own power. Gaara and I have both already mastered those aspects, so that's fine. But you don't have anything like that Naruto, and your Bijuu is the worst. I think we should send someone in your place, like Utakata or Han."

It was a fair point; Naruto literally had no control over the Kyuubi's power. Whenever he pulled out that demonic chakra, he was filled with the desire to destroy the strongest thing in the area, and anything that stood in the way. Yet knowing this, Naruto gave a cocky smirk that seemed almost scary in its own way. "We don't need to completely transform, you two will be more than enough to let them know what they're dealing with." he replied, displaying utter confidence in his two comrades. "If I'm not mistaken, Pein wants everyone to think that Akatsuki and Yoinokuchi are forces that will greatly increase their chances. All we gotta do is prove to them that that's the case."

He looked around the room, waiting to see if there was any further argument to be sent his way. But no one seemed to have any qualms with what he said; even Yagura looked fine with it. Taking this as a positive, he dismissed the meeting and departed down the stairs, keen to prepare for what was promising to be a very tough and very beneficial mission. Whichever side his priorities were on was anybody's guess. However, with Gaara and Han taking their leave almost immediately after him, it was clear that the meeting really had come to an end. But something else was beginning, something that would mark the futures of everyone in these temple grounds.

* * *

The world was dark, bleak, a pitiful place filled with oil and blood. Purple sludge covered the flat earth, flowing from some indeterminable place far away like ripples in a pond. High above, the sky was entirely tangible. An infinite mass of solid earth filled the view, crumbling dirt and debris into the mires below. In this entirely ominous place, where the rules that governed all of existence were ignored, there were whispers of bitter nothings rising from fumes cast by the bubbles in the slime. All in all, this was a truly horrible place.

If it were possible to forget for even a second the unlawful way this world was, the tearing of the air would be a swift reminder. No matter where the eyes were cast, the very atmosphere seemed to pull apart like a cloth gripped by two opposing forces. From these holes spilled out the slime that filled the earth, for only as long as those places remained open. However on one very unusual occasion, one of these holes allowed nothing to leave this place. Instead, something was coming in.

Her steps cast ripples across the sludge, making the violet ooze seem somewhat darker. Faintly she opened her surreal lips, taking in a deep inhale of the vile air with an almost blissful sigh. The hole closed behind her, and the lady of the shadows moved leisurely with a faint smile. "This is _so_ much better." she spoke, with no person in particular to direct her words to. But while there was no one there to hear her, there was no reason to believe her words went unheard. "That place is just so tense, so many cruel intentions."

Massaging the back of her neck, she let out a small laugh that condensed into the air. This place was blissful, with its ever cool air and vast emptiness. The world was almost completely empty, making for few presences to weigh it down. For this reason, even though the place was abominable, her blindness allowed her to see only a perfect place. This sense was added to, as she found her way to the only other living being in this entire world. Nearing this person, her smile grew softer, her head tilting slightly to the side.

Before her lay what seemed to be the source of the ooze that filled the floor. It looked like an odd bed shaped object, acting as a fountain of sludge that disallowed any signs of a form to what lay beneath. But this bed was of little interest to her. What her face, and her heart, was focused on was what occupied the fountain of sludge. That was the entity, which had her complete and undivided attention.

A husk, by any means of description, was all this thing could be seen as. It resembled a human corpse, with decayed skin stretched taut across its body. Its face was gaping wide, the eyes not more than sockets. Unnervingly, that was not the only face to speak of. Multiple faces inhabited this form; the shoulders, the backs of the hands, even upon the chest. Old, putrified and disgusting. And to make things worse, of those extra faces, black coils protruded like giant millipedes, diving into the liquid all around. Where the lady of the shadows was mysterious, he was undeniably horrific.

The woman lightly drew her hand across the corpse's leathery skin, a somewhat soothing look on her otherwise empty face. At her touch, the corpse seemed to shudder, proving life with a dry exhale. "There there my love, you rest well." she said, resting her head on her arms as she brushed her fingers across the still living body. Her ill-omened smile widened even further, faint signs of pleasure appearing in her grin. "I'm working as fast as I can to get him back for you, so soon you will be able to properly awaken. I look forward to it, Mugen-ousama."

Faintly, the head of the body named Mugen shifted, though no more than a faint twitch by any reckoning. Somehow his dry lips spread even wider, and he was able to get out a hoarse whisper that could travel no further than the ears of his companion. "Tsu… ki… ri… te." he rasped, sound passing through each of his mouths. Even when nothing more passed through, his jaws continued to shift slowly, as if unable to recall how to become still again.

The lady of the shadows, possibly named Tsukirite, took Mugen's hand as he made that single sound. The effort for that alone had clearly been great, judging by the way Tsukirite was no longer smiling. "Don't try and talk, you'll need to reserve your strength." she warned, before letting out a faint giggle that conflicted with her attempt at seriousness. "I've found the ones who have him, or the parts of him at least. But they can be reformed, and we can bring him back! Mother, father and child again!"

Though she seemed positively thrilled at the prospect she spoke of, Mugen failed to show much of a reaction. Tsukirite didn't let this get her down however; instead she resumed her light stroking of her love's arm. "Oooh… but I found a really nasty person, taking over one of the gates." she moaned in clear displeasure, as the shadows around her drifted like a fog over the slime. "Someone who wants to take our child for himself! And to make it worse, he's taken over the one who has that Sennin's eyes! You remember the Sennin, don't you? He's the one I commissioned to get our son back when he first got lost… oh what a bad child!"

Lifting her hand to Mugen's closest to normal face; she listened to the groan he gave at her touch. She straightened up, and climbed onto the bed, draping herself over Mugen like a blanket. There she hooked her arms around him in an embrace, bringing her lips as close to his ear as she could. "It won't be long… one of the gates is crafting the key for us…" she whispered, playfully running her fingers across Mugen's almost wood like lips. "Once he has done that, you can finally replenish your energy once again!"

Mugen tried to say something once again, but the effort proved too great for him. With no strength left to resist, his body stilled again as he went to rest. Realising this, Tsukirite decided to offer her love some warmth for all it was worth. Resting her head on his chest, she quietly clung to him with the last traces of her mouth disappearing. After a few moments, she too was as still as the person she lay upon. Mugen and Tsukirite, like this looking like a poorly crafted puppet and some occult doll, lying in the wastes of a deserted world. So silent, so peaceful.


	16. A world weighted with desire

Was kinda worried I wouldn't get this one out on time. No matter how I looked at it, there was no way to keep this arc from looking like filler. Well, I just barely managed to figure out a way to give it some plot relevence, and boy did I manage that! I wonder if this will be a shock reveal, or if some of you out there anticipated what will happen? In either case, here is a 6000 word long chapter for the wait, enjoy!

Disclaimer:Out of curiosity, are there any characters you readers would like to see star in a fic of mine in the future? I'm getting to that stage where I should start thinking of my next fic, and while I have a solid idea, it'd be good to see what people actually want to read.

* * *

**A world weighted with desire**

The song of a sparrow is a light hearted thing, a curious tone of searching and wonder. The way it flutters through the air, swooping and rising in a merry manner, was comforting to many. There were few who would begrudge such a tiny creature, whose mere presence was a nicety in itself. It lived the simple life of any common bird, seeking its meal and finding a place to roost for but a moment.

The young sparrow landed on a large stone, shrilly contemplating the world around it. Tall grass filled its view, even with the support it had chosen to place itself upon. It hopped across the surface of the rock, cocking its head to see if there was anything interesting around. But all that was there was the calm, gentle breeze stirring the long grass beneath the leisurely sun. With no more interest in this boring place, the little bird took off again immediately, flitting over into a giant village.

Kusagakure, a small but reasonably well off village obscured in the depths of a basin. It was little more than a descent from the grassy plains that gave the village its name, but to anyone from a distance this place would be impossible to spot. However as a result of this the village had considerably fewer hours of daylight, which as a result caused jet lag to people who visited even from nearby places. That point was quite the inside joke, for the residents of this village often found amusement in travellers who became weary at such an early time.

Weariness was an ill afforded luxury, however, at times like these. Though the villagers knew little of it, the Shinobi born of this place were in a shambles, constantly running from place to place as fast as their bodies would allow. Messages, supplies, even sometimes people were getting rushed to secret locations under the order of the council running the village. It was kept rather quiet, but no one could deny the way the shadows always seemed to be moving.

Deep inside the central office of Kusagakure lay the room where the head council members held their meetings. Today, as ever, this room was occupied by all eight councillors, all of whom were working themselves to a state reminiscent to decay. No one could afford to rest, for there was the ever present threat that the country they had been tasked with protecting would once again become a battlefield. After the great wars of the past, the entire Shinobi presence was eager to quell this danger before it grew outside their control.

The doors to the council room slammed open for the twelfth time today as one of the ninja barged into the room. A young man wearing a beige jacket and dark slacks ran inside with papers clenched tight in his hands, wasting no time in making his way over to the semicircular table in front of him. "Sorry for the intrusion, but we have confirmation from the southern border!" he announced, thrusting the papers onto the table and immediately standing to attention. "Ame forces are making their way north as we speak!"

There was no hesitation from the head councillor as he grabbed the papers and hastily read through them. The others looking at him were unnerved by the choking sound he made, and the way his face paled many times over. "Ba- ballistae?" he exclaimed, fervently setting aside the page he was reading and seeking out the next one. Beside him, another councillor grabbed that page and started reading the rest of what he had heard, soon earning the same expression. "Cannons, war wagons, is this really a war between Shinobi?"

From the looks on the other councillor's faces, this was a question each of them was posing to themselves. Frightening though the prospect was, Kusa prided itself on its ability to think fast. "Fortify the bridges, fortify the damn bridges!" demanded one of the older councillors to the left, after rising sharply to his feet. Though he did display the aforementioned speed, he also displayed an inability to think in terms other than experience. "And keep it quiet, we don't need that damn Tazuna batting his eyelashes this way again!"

* * *

"_Hey Sasori no Danna, why don't we take the Tenchi bri-"_

"_Shut up."_

"_You sure? I hear it's got a pretty nice view this time of-"_

"_I said shut up!"_

"_Hey hey relax!"_

"…"

"_What happened back there, consider it water under the- OH SHIT!"_

Naruto's palm slid slowly down his face, a faint and unintelligible mumble escaping from his tired lips. He walked alone along a path close by a ravine, still trying to figure out what kind of mentality Deidara had. The situation had been that the Akatsuki man and his hunchbacked partner were supposed to lead him to the place he would meet the rest of the squad, but after Deidara antagonised Sasori into a frenzy, the location was all Naruto received.

With Gaara and Yagura already in other parts of the country, Naruto was left wondering just what the coming days were going to entail. He had been told explicitly that this was not going to be a rush job; it should last at the very least a week. That was a lot longer than the last large scale battle he had been involved in, though the rebellion of Amegakure was a lot more like a coup than an actual war. All the same, that time had shown Naruto one of his first near death experiences. In spite of all his training, he couldn't help taking a situation like this seriously. Though he doubted anything bad would come from it, he could still faintly recall the huge scar he had possessed after almost getting ripped in two by a giant salamander.

"Man… how much further away _is_ this place?" he mumbled to himself, wishing he had taken the foresight to procure a small portable stove with which to cook some ramen. With lack of decent sleep or a good meal, he was feeling a little worse for wear and was pretty sure he wasn't at his most presentable. Still, the people he was going to meet were unlikely to judge him on those terms; he was here as a Jinchuuriki, not a normal everyday person.

Just as he began to ask himself how he would identify the meeting point, he noticed something glistening on the ground to his right. "Hm?" he mumbled, crouching down for a closer look. The object looked like a small metal spike, one which was attached to a broken piece of wood. Looking around, he noticed splinters and such all over the place, and further ahead there were more examples of shattered objects. As he straightened up and walked along, his eyes flitted across the ground. Bits of what looked like dolls were scattered across the place, with even a head lying in a bush, looking at Naruto almost retardedly. _"Kugutsu no Jutsu?"_

It had been a while since he last saw an example of this, but there was no denying what he could see. It looked like someone using puppets had experienced a tough battle hear, and lost a few of their weapons of choice in the conflict. These pieces were all weather beaten and moss covered, suggesting that they had been here for a while. But there was a point much more unusual than this, one that Naruto just couldn't ignore. It was the rotten, putrid smell that stalked him like a perverted ghost. He felt almost certain that if anyone was following him by scent, they would need to take a pause in this place to expel fluid.

Repressing the desire to regurgitate, Naruto tried to find something to distract himself from the sickening air. To his surprise he had little difficulty doing so, as not too far ahead there was a sight that made Naruto understand just why that Sasori guy got so mad at Deidara. Before his eyes, maybe a hundred yards away, was the ruins of what seemed to be an important bridge. The entire centre was missing, with only wooden spikes of red protruding from either side.

Judging by the increased number of puppet pieces around here, coupled with blackened stains on the ground, Naruto need little effort to understand that those two Akatsuki members had been in a conflict of sorts here. _"Oh fuck!"_ he cursed to himself, finding something lying by the road which suggested just who that conflict had been with. It was a body, or at least the outer layer of a body. White skin and black hair surrounded a mouth stretched open and distorted. It looked like someone had ripped the insides of this person out of their body, leaving behind only the skin. _"Who the hell was _this_ guy?"_

It was clear that question would have to remain unanswered, at least until he encountered one of those two Akatsuki members again. He let it drop for now and instead continued on his way, slowing down only to investigate the bridge out of interest. Stepping across it, he took note of several gouges, scrapes and black burn marks present on the red wood. Past experience would have told him that the most likely culprit was the explosive artist Deidara, but as he looked closer he realised that the bridge had been destroyed not by an explosion, but by blunt force. To him, it seemed that something very heavy had crashed into the bridge. Understanding the situation a little, he smirked. Maybe Sasori was more his kind of guy than he first-

_Thunk!_

Naruto raised his head curiously, glancing back for a second to see what had caused the noise. An odd arrow was embedded in the wood, one made of a golden substance. Judging from the position it stuck, the dart had been fired from somewhere on the other side of the bridge. Turning his head over to the predicted place, Naruto raised his hands to his mouth. "YO!" he called out, still crouching down. "YOU'RE AIM SUCKS!"

He let out an inward chuckle as he straightened up, knowing that the person who fired the arrow was definitely pissed off. What he had just said was a lie; the aim had actually been impeccable. But when it came to projectiles, altering the trajectory was a piece of cake for someone like him, especially when they were as light as that one. He considered playing about some more, but when a sudden volley of arrows began firing from the trees, it seemed his attacker was playing a game of their own. With that in mind he took a running start, before leaping clean over the giant gap.

It seemed this attacker's preparedness was to be commended, for he didn't waste any time in attacking Naruto while he was airborne. But the arrows he fired hit only the Ekokaeten, shattering immediately. Naruto landed safely on the other side, slipping his blade back in place and placing a hand on his hip. "You guys sure you wanna do this?" he asked, with a confident smirk on his arrogant face. "I got places to be, people to get rid of."

He awaited an answer for several long seconds, sure that he would be getting one soon. Was it likely that this attack was just a way to learn what he was capable of? In that case, they would be bringing back very little. This attack had a purpose, and one that couldn't possibly be fulfilled yet. But at a time like this, there were only a few possibilities he could come up with as to why-

"Fufufu… aren't _we_ confident?"

Naruto froze in shock, as a familiar voice came suddenly his way. From the trees ahead of him stepped out a young man wearing a cloak of the Akatsuki, but one that didn't match up with the kind he had seen; no members of that group he knew of wore hoods with theirs. But all the cloak did was further the sense of shock he had at the sight of this person's face. It was Hyuuga Neji.

The person whom Hoshigake Kisame had named Naruto's lifelong rival, the person that Naruto had been ordered to kill with the strength he obtained, was now standing before him with the same smug look that Naruto wanted to tear off with all his strength. But that very same person was wearing that cloak, which meant only one possible thing. Neji was allied with Akatsuki? "What's going on?" he demanded, his hand reaching for the hilt of his blade. He hadn't forgotten the last time he and Neji had encountered, a time which resulted in Gaara being impaled by the other bastard travelling with this Hyuuga guy. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

The near lifeless eyes of Hyuuga Neji narrowed conspicuously, once more noticing Naruto's brutishness, yet surprised at even this level of patience. Just before he could comment on this however, he noticed something else. Naruto's fierce yellow eyes blazed at him, the pupils shrinking and growing as if the boy was suffering flashes of light. "Nehangan…" Neji murmured. Almost as soon as the word slipped past his lips, his smirk was gone. Along with that, Naruto too didn't look quite so angry. Shock replaced most of that feeling, but not all of it.

"What was that?" he demanded, taking a further step forward. He already knew of quite a few Doujutsu, and the common trait they had of including the mention of "eye" in their names. He knew of the Rinnegan, the Sharingan, and the Byakugan, but not the Nehangan. And considering what had happened to his own eyes, it was unsurprising that he felt there was a connection here. "Do you know something?"

For a moment Neji seemed to have lost his focus, taking a moment to recover. But when he did, that damn smirk returned to his face almost as if it had never been gone. However in spite of his expression, thoughts were flying through his mind at a pace too fast for many people to follow. _"I don't recall learning of such a thing from Orochimaru, and there was nothing like this back at the academy." _he told himself, as he tried to shake off this unnervingly naked feeling he was getting while under Naruto's gaze. _"Then… was it when I absorbed Hyuuga Hiashi's mind? It may be…"_

Further thought to this point was becoming hindered further and further by that uneasy feeling. Naruto's searching eyes looked like they were finding something. There was much too much realisation going on than Neji liked, more than he was willing to allow. Turning his back on Naruto, he made a small effort to hide himself from the odd gaze of that boy. "Come, we have a mission to take care of." he said, as he began to walk along the path leading to wherever. "Kidomaru, Sakon, we're leaving."

From the heights of the trees dropped two unfamiliar Shinobi, both of whom wore cloaks like Neji and were sneering rather coldly at Naruto. The one nearest to him, a dark skinned boy with a scruffy ponytail, waved one of six arms at Naruto in a gesture that was far from friendly. "So you're the extra player huh?" he asked, as Naruto lowered his hand from his hilt. "Well let the games begin then!"

"Quiet, Kidomaru." ordered the person behind him, whose name must have been Sakon. This was a person of roughly the same age as the other three around him. His pale skin, loose grey hair and green painted lips gave him a feminine appearance, coupled with the larger bunch of hair behind his head. To Naruto's eyes there was no mistake; the mental and physical energies of more than one person was present.

Though Neji was making his way ahead, Naruto took pause here as he regarded these two Shinobi. Sakon was the one who drew his attention the most, though for the life of him he couldn't think why. He soon let this slip however, as he locked his eyes onto Kidomaru's with one hand slipping behind his back. "Hey… this is yours right?" he asked, as he protruded one of the golden arrows that had been shot at him before.

Kidomaru fixed his attention onto the object in Naruto's hand, but to his shock he was given little time to do so. At a speed far surpassing anything he had seen, Naruto had appeared beside him and plunged the arrow deep into one of Kidomaru's arms. "GRAH!" the human arachnid cried, as blood flowed from his newfound wound. Beside him, Sakon tried to jump back out of harms way. In this effort, he was assisted by Naruto himself, whose fist provided great service in propelling the other nin, at the cost of his pretty little face. At the head of the group, Neji turned at the sound of breaking wood to see his two subordinates embedded in shattered trees. In between them stood Naruto, whose own attention was determinedly fixed upon the Hyuuga boy.

"If you wanna walk in front, I'd suggest you use that Byakugan of yours."

* * *

The foliage of this country was truly insane. That was the first thought that Yagura made, when he arrived in the dense forests this place possessed. Giant mushrooms and bamboo shoots sprung up in the strangest places, fuelling his size complex even further. Nonsensical though it was, he couldn't escape the sneaking suspicion that someone was making fun of him, forcing him to travel through a place like this. _"Looks like I was a paranoid Mizukage."_ he thought to himself, as he stepped past a fungus that was roughly the same size as he was. _"Damn giant plants…"_

"You're late."

Yagura turned to his right, feeling annoyance as he looked up to the higher reaches. About twenty metres above where he was, there stood a girl with a painstaking air of self importance. She was a bespectacled girl with long red hair, unkempt on one side and straight on the other. Her pupilless eyes, which were also red, had locked onto Yagura and fixed the stare of someone who felt their positions in terms of height had a direct correlation to their worth. Judging by the cloak she was wearing, it wasn't hard to see what her role was.

"Can't get started without me huh?" Yagura asked, countering her superiority with his condescending manner. He took a brief look around, before progressively leaping from tree to mushroom, making his way up to the place this girl stood. There he landed, though annoyingly enough all he had done was decrease the height she had over him, not bested it. He made up for this with a cool smirk, one that mingled with his colder eyes rather well. "What a disorganised team you must be."

It seemed that the girl's reserved behaviour was only for show, because her reaction to Yagura's quip was far from noble. "Wh-what did you say?" she demanded, spastically readjusting her glasses while her eyes bugged out. Yagura was almost amused by this irregular behaviour; it far outshone any schizophrenia _he_ was suffering from. This girl seemed the pretentious-violent sort, maintaining the air of self importance yet easily brought down to the other person's level. "Who do you think you are?"

While Yagura became tempted to give her the full answer, he detected the presence of another. With an irritated expression, he lifted his gaze even higher to one of the thick bows above. There a person appeared just from out of sight, looking down lazily to the two people below. "Hey Karin, we're-" he began, before cocking a brow in surprise. He studied Yagura for several long seconds, his face paling and trails of sweat appearing on his face. "N-no way!" he stammered.

Unable to resist it, Yagura made his way up to this person too. When he was on the same level, he looked at the boy with the loose white hair, recognizing his purple eyes and sharpened teeth. His dress was similar to the girl Karin's, and on his back was a pair of blades with a warped design, unusual weapons that were seldom crafted at normal blacksmiths. "Hozuki Suigetsu, apprentice to Momochi Zabuza, correct?" Yagura asked, standing so close to the boy that every detail in his frozen eyes could be seen. "Another power hungry traitor, am I right?"

While he was hardly one to talk in terms of loyalty, his words certainly had their effect. Suigetsu was caught in a dumb stammer, stepping back with several attempted exclamations of "Mizukage". Behind the two of them reappeared Karin, who had managed to regain her composure just long enough for Suigetsu to successfully call the term out. Naturally, the effect on this ill minded girl wasn't too different. "WHAT WAS THAT?" she demanded, causing Yagura to flinch in pain. The last time he had heard a voice so shrill, it had been while he was fighting off Oto nin just a week ago. "Shut up Suigetsu, there's no way the Mizukage would be all the way out here!"

Once more an interruption was offered to them, in the form of a loud thud close by. The three Shinobi turned around quickly, realising another member of the team had come their way. This was a giant boy with fire like hair and orange eyes, looking down on his comrades and Yagura with a plain expression. "The Mizukage?" he repeated, with a slight look of confusion. Turning his eyes down to the person in front of him, he gave a questioning look. "Him?"

As Yagura stared at the stomach of this absurdly tall man, a vein in his temple started to throb. Though he had believed his earlier impression of this mission to be little more than paranoia, his certainty had now reached its highest level. _"Someone is screwing with me." _he told himself, as the corner of his lip twitched in frustration. _"Someone is _definitely_ screwing with me."_

* * *

The final member of the fatal three trespassing on Kusagakure's territory was none other than the ever blank faced Gaara. Silence had been his way since they left Hi no Kuni, though this wasn't much of a surprise. He too had come to realise what Yagura had said of Iwa's supply lines, and so was planning ahead for the dangerous encounter he felt sure was coming. The sand in his gourd was ever full of chakra, ready for the slightest encounter which may come his way.

He walked along the river's edge, keeping his focus off of the trickling water and sweltering sunlight that would distract lesser men. The trees to his left were sparse and thin, but grew in number the greater the distance became. Perhaps this location wasn't the most advantageous for him, but there was little that could be done about it. He had been tasked with Kusa itself, while the other two feigned allegiance to the inverse warring countries. Yagura to the south would take on Ame in the name of Taki, while Naruto to the north would hold off Taki under Ame's banner.

Gaara on the other hand had an even more dangerous job. He was to convince Kusa that both Ame and Taki were using war as a disguise for an allied takeover. Essentially, he was to appear as a Shinobi following orders from _both_ invading villages. Though he had little problem with this, since senseless killing was once a hobby to him, he knew that the outcome of this entire effort relied on him. Even if he was self confident, he would not allow himself to grow arrogant about it.

Though he had travelled for little over a couple of hours, he came to a sudden stop. The air was still and crisp around him, without the slightest trace of a reason for his reaction. His arms folded together, and for a moment he closed his eyes. Then he stepped aside from the path, making his way over to a nearby tree. Turning on the spot, he rested against it, noticing the irregular rustling sound and odd texture the tree possessed. "Did they really send you here for a mission like this?" he asked, as he stared out across the wide open river. "I was always under the impression that it was only Shinigami who lingered on would be battlefields, not Tenshi."

Beside him, parts of the tree began to shift. What had first seemed like bark turned out to be coloured paper, layers of which shifted aside to create a square opening no larger than would allow half a face to be visible. This half face belonged to a woman with a small silver stud below her lips, and faint traces of blue hair hanging on either side. "Do you remember that day, four years ago?" the woman asked, speaking quietly into Gaara's ear. "The time has come for your mission to start."

Gaara's green, pupilless eyes moved to the right, fixing themselves upon the lips of the person whispering to him. There were no signs of realisation on his face, but then he was seldom the sort to reveal things like that with ease. Yet on this occasion, his defences were shifted uncomfortably. "I still remember." he replied, turning his attention away in case someone somehow was watching. "But there is a complication. Uchiha Itachi has been killed."

The woman's lips parted for a moment, as if about to voice her shock. But she hesitated before she gave herself away, showing the same anxiety that Gaara seemed to be feeling. She took a brief pause to think things over, then moved in to speak again. "Uchiha Itachi was our best source on Uchiha Madara's intentions." she said, aware that Gaara knew this from the details he had been given when he was much younger. "If Itachi is gone, that's a great loss. But there are other options. Madara has an interest in Uchiha Sasuke, though I can't say why."

That name also drew Gaara's attention, the name of his own apparent lifelong rival. Though his enthusiasm towards the goal Kisame had given him was nowhere near as strong as Naruto's, he still had a grudge against the person who had bested him twice. "So if I find Uchiha Sasuke, Madara will show himself?" he asked, already forming a plan in his mind. But then he was struck with a curiosity, one that may make what he had already worked out useless. "What will Madara do if something happens to Sasuke?"

The woman shook her head in response to Gaara's words, but soon realised he wasn't looking to notice it. "Sasuke is too well guarded, and Madara is impossible to capture head on." she explained, using her limited knowledge to help Gaara out as much as she possibly could. "However there is someone who might know something important. While Madara seems to be keeping Sasuke at a safe reach, he is doing his best to keep the other boy from getting close."

Knowing exactly who the woman was referring to, Gaara grew steadily more troubled. If it was true that Hyuuga Neji was the lead he needed for his mission, then it meant he would have to continue keeping his secret from Naruto. Fortunately his friend's naivety made itself useful in this situation, but he had the feeling that soon he wouldn't be able to keep quiet about this anymore. "What do you suggest?"

It seemed that the woman was rather prepared, for Gaara could hear her shuffling around inside the false tree. This was proven when she protruded a scroll from somewhere on her person, and reached out to give it to Gaara. "I managed to steal this summoning scroll without his noticing." she said, as the red haired boy accepted the apparently important gift. "It's old, but if you can get it to that person and use it, it will give you an advantage. Just be careful though; Madara will know immediately what you've done."

With his curiosity raised, Gaara thumbed the scroll open to see what lay inside. He looked over the writing with a slowly arcing brow, his grip on the paper tightening to the point where the woman almost had to stop him. "To think there was actually something like this…" he murmured, with a mystified look in his eyes. He slipped the scroll into his duster for security, before turning to face the hole. "It looks like the situation has become problematic. What will you do?"

"I have preparations to take care of on my end. I'll be watching, be careful not to act too fast."

With Gaara's nod of reply, there was nothing left to be said. He took a step back to watch as the disguise of the tree disappeared, revealing its true form as a massive mound of paper. That paper then began to blow away in a non existent wind, folding and curling into an uncountable amount of origami butterflies. The sand wielder watched as these tiny creations fluttered away into the trees, until they had disappeared altogether. With his visitor now gone, he continued on his way, deep in thought of the mission which had been handed to him long ago.

_

* * *

_

The sky was unusually clear that day, in Amegakure. The remnants of the village's namesake left the stone rooftops a shade darker than they should have been, and gave the metal pipes protruding from just about everywhere a dull shine. A damp smell lingered everywhere, a by product of the weather and poor building maintenance. Of course, the people present at this place gave it little heed. They were much to busy with a different task altogether.

"_With your shield of sand protecting you from many forms of Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, you are openly susceptible to the last major Jutsu group." explained a man wearing the cloak of the Akatsuki. This person looked rather old, yet his hair was as orange as the noon sun. Many black piercing marked his face, most notably the studs lining down the creases on his face, the bridge of his nose and the long spikes protruding from his ears. Along with the slashed Ame headband, and the grey rippling eyes, this person had a very powerful identity. But that identity was a secret for now. "To cancel most weak Genjutsu, you must learn to shut off your entire chakra network and quickly reboot it. Disobey your instincts, and make yourself as weak as possible for just a moment."_

_Ahead of this person, dressed like the desert wanderer he was, a young Gaara stood with an ever present look of disdain. He absolutely hated the look of the person before him, the eyes of someone who truly believed their existence was inextinguishable. It was a powerful desire of his to be the one to put out that flame of arrogance, to prove that his desire to live made him stronger than this person. But with a kind of resolve he didn't really possess, he held himself back. He had been offered much for his help, the promise that he would be allowed to take part in a war of the grandest scale. It was for that reason alone that he put off his wish, and didn't fight back this person's command._

_With this in mind, he lifted his hands together in a seal. He wasn't going to deny his weakness, and in this situation he was feeling willing to train. Genjutsu users particularly earned his loathing, for their indirect ways of combat. The mere thought of seeing the look on a Genjutsu user's face as they realised their precious art had failed them, and the way their blood would rain from the sky. That was enough to make Gaara lick his lips._

_The orange haired man took note of this expression, and logged it away in the deep depths of his mind. He opened his mouth to offer further instruction, but seemed to pause in mid thought. Then he sharply looked to his left, his eyes locking on the small mound of blue hair just visible over the edge of the building. "The link is broken, come Konan!" he commanded, while Gaara gave a look of impatience. He didn't like being trained by this man, he _despised_ being treated as a side thought. "Give it to him."_

_Without a second of hesitation, the woman named Konan appeared from the side of the building. She hurried over to Gaara's side, producing a scroll from her cloak which she then held out to the boy. "Read that scroll when no one is watching you." the orange haired man commanded, as Gaara took the scroll and Konan returned to her position. "If you do as instructed, you will be allowed to kill a person who clings to his existence harder than anyone in this world. An immortal man who has more blood on his hands than you ever will. And if that is not enough, then I will offer you more when the deed is done."_

_Gaara was naturally suspicious, but the promise of a person like that was beyond his wildest reckoning. Gaining understanding from the situation, he slipped the scroll away and resumed his position, his fierce eyes locking with the man's once again. The leader of Akatsuki nodded his appreciation, before once more he seemed to pause. "… Good, now try it." he instructed, in the same tone he had used before. Gaara did as he was told, and cut off his chakra network._

* * *

Back then, Gaara had no way of knowing just what it was Pein was going to ask of him. But even after reading the scroll, his understanding was limited. He had done what he could to follow through, keen for the promise of what Pein had said. Though after a while he had become sceptical as to the worth of Pein's word, recent events made him think back to that time once again.

The contents of the scroll had been limited, and looked like they had been scrawled in a hurry. But after reading the scroll again and again, Gaara recently came to work out what it meant. The scroll described an act Pein did, a transference of eyes in the hope of gaining further power and understanding. He had taken the eye of a man called Uchiha Madara, and as a result had subjected himself to a dangerous fate.

Gaara had been tasked with a mission that was purely situational. Pein had believed in the chance that Madara would be able to take over his body with the use of the implanted eye, and that he would lose himself to that person. In the case where something like that happened, Gaara was to find Uchiha Itachi and relay the message that Madara was alive.

That aside, it was his duty to gather as much information as possible, in the event that Akatsuki would some day turn on the Jinchuuriki. Gaara had fulfilled this task too, with the help of a man known as Kirai. However, because of that man's actions he could only learn certain things, and as such was only partially successful. But with the last order the message gave, he resolved to find the Jinchuuriki and have them follow _his_ cause, not Akatsuki's.

"_Yet ironically enough, it was the one person who was explicitly not to know about this who was in fact the one who did a better job than I."_ he thought to himself, as he looked back to Naruto's actions of late. It had taken a long time, and a _lot_ of effort on Naruto's part, but the two of them now considered each other friends, even if Gaara never said it. Naruto was unafraid of Gaara, and in fact used the desert boy's hostility as a means to make them grow closer. _"And what is more, he is perhaps a person better suited to-"_

He stopped his thought midway, this time openly sensing a presence. Though this presence felt in no way threatening, the way it suddenly appeared was far from regular. Fixing his eyes on the tree to his left, he thought for a second that Konan had hurried back for some reason. But to his surprise, it was another person who appeared from the midst of the trees, someone who was clearly still allied with Akatsuki. "Oh… ha… ha… you must be Gaara-senpai!" announced an out of breath man, with red hair and a swirling orange mask with a single eye hole. "You can call me… Tobi!"


	17. Signs of malcontent aren't so easy

Busy days make for late updates, as much as I hate to say it. Not to mention that the manner I intend to deal with this war in requires me to find ways of making certain moments last longer without letting them become dull. I'm pretty satisfied with the result, though there are certain things here I would rather leave til later. But then I'd have to come up with new stuff, and that's even more of a pain in the ass. I can't really tell if I'm taking time to reveal certain points, or just making points that would otherwise be filler relevent. Ah well, thinking about it just makes my head spin.

Disclaimer: Any votes that I should stop calling this space Disclaimer, since it isn't actually a disclaimer?

* * *

**Signs of malcontent aren't so easy to see**

This Tobi character really seemed like a strange person. Gaara had been travelling with him for several hours now, over the grassy plans and under the relentless sun, yet still could not figure him out. His attitude was not of the sort one would usually encounter in an organisation like Akatsuki. He was much too… _jovial_ for that. Though no matter how he tried to think about it, Gaara couldn't help but conclude that underneath such a personality, there lay something very, _very_ dark.

"OH… GAARA-SENPAI!" Tobi yelled, for what was perhaps the fourth time since the two of them met. As Gaara continued walking, Tobi literally jumped with each step, his hand frantically pointing to his left as he tried to draw his temporary partner's attention. After the last few false alarms however, Gaara had learned to ignore the sort of things that caught this person's eye. "Aren't we going… um… _where_ are we going?"

However it seemed that even ignoring this person wasn't enough to save Gaara from irritation. Shooting Tobi a dangerous look from the corner of his eye, he folded his arms before reluctantly offering an answer. "While it's our duty to attack Kusagakure, we won't set foot inside." he explained, wondering just how simple he would have to speak in order for this person to understand. "I'll make preparations for the attack, convince Kusa that it is being invaded, then let it win with only the message we need to send as spoils of battle."

While the erratic Tobi listened to Gaara's words, his hand raised to his chin and stroked a non existent beard. The sight of such a thing really irritated Gaara, but no more so than any of the other antics this person had undergone in their short partnership. "You know Gaara-senpai, I think I heard a strange story about Kusagakure once." Tobi said, looking off into the distance thoughtfully. "Some guy told me that the grass there really brings out your natural scent… heh heh, pretty weird huh?"

For the first time since the two of them met, Gaara shot Tobi a serious look. There was something about the way he was talking… was he trying to be helpful, yet hide it behind a simple minded façade? Or was he really just bringing up something that was coincidentally important. In either case, the information was not something Gaara would be taking lightly. Though he was certain that nothing could breach his defences, in this game of illusions he was about to play, it would be bad if the puppeteer could be easily found.

With this in mind he reassessed his plan, and came to the conclusion that Tobi would have to be of use after all. Though he didn't want to rely on a person suddenly entranced by a passing butterfly, he knew this person had to possess some skill. He certainly wasn't in Akatsuki for his personality. "Then I will need you to watch for flanks while I work." he said, as he raised his hands and formed together a short string of seals. In a few seconds, Tobi's interest in the butterfly disappeared, instead drawn to the strange hovering eye that seemed to appear from nowhere. He watched as this eye lifted up into the sky, quietly voicing his awareness with a long tone. "Nothing from the front will get through."

As Tobi listened to Gaara's instructions, greatly resembling a loyal dog as he did so, he and Gaara both came to a stop. Gaara had managed to locate Kusagakure with his Third Eye, and knew that now was the time to prepare. It was this feat that distracted Tobi for a moment, causing him to stare at Gaara's back in surprise. The giant gourd Gaara carried was disintegrating into sand, which fell to the ground before disappearing from view. "Oooh… is this the Ichibi sand Jutsu I heard of?" he asked, with a rather impressed look. "What are you gonna do with _that_?"

No response was offered to him, for the answer would be revealed in time. Instead Gaara hopped up onto a large boulder embedded in the earth, letting it serve as a pedestal for what he was about to do. He fixed his attention far ahead, remembering the place that Kusa lay. As he watched, his eyes grew focused, more so than ever before. Pupils appeared in his eyes, stretching out at four points while his irises turned a shade of gold. Four small black dots appeared in the corners of his eyes, and a powerful aura rose from his body that even Tobi couldn't confuse.

Gaara brought his hands to his chest, stretching his fingers apart and facing his palms to the ground. Across the surface of his skin, black markings began to appear like rounded cracks or lightning, curving around small dots. As he spread his arms wide in a sweeping arc, these markings solidified to the point where they looked like they had always been there. In reaction to this occurrence, the ground began to shudder.

"W-whoa!" Tobi exclaimed, as he struggled for a moment with his balance. He managed to regain it in time to see the reason for this action, and once more was forced to voice his surprise. Before his very eyes, the earth was shifting, grinding, _convulsing_, as something beneath it stirred. The ground was becoming sand, the grassy plains turning into desert. More than once he was forced to correct his footing, or get pulled in by the current crafted by the power of Gaara.

The Ichibi Jinchuuriki, with his hands still outstretched, suddenly brought them together to create a string of seals. He clapped them, before forming the boar, the monkey, the rat, the horse, the monkey, the ram, the horse and once more clapping. With his jaw clenching so tight all his teeth could be seen, the sclera of his eyes darkened to a black. "Ryuusa… BAKURYUU!" he yelled, causing the entire ground to pulsate with chakra.

Tobi had no other choice than to leap back, as all the sand Gaara crafted beneath them rose up in an immense wave, throwing itself in the direction ahead with indiscriminate force. All he could see was the sand, all he could hear was the deep rumbling as everything the wave struck was crushed and turned into even more sand. He could only wonder what the people of Kusagakure were thinking right now.

* * *

The village was panicked, people running in one direction as the catastrophe no one could have dreamt of seeing struck their home and tore reality asunder. A colossal wave of sand was approaching Kusagakure at an alarming rate, threatening to crush everything that lay in its path. No one knew what to do, so they obeyed only their primal instincts. If the Shinobi couldn't save them, no one could.

While the villagers all ran away from this calamity, many of the ninja were running towards it with protection being the only thing in mind. A great number of these warriors flew forward, already gathering chakra for the attack they could never have anticipated to arrive so soon. Though each acted with the preparation honed into their bodies, not one of them was not thinking of what force could cause such an attack.

Ten ninja reached the outermost edge of the village, creating a perimeter between their home and the tsunami of sand. Their hands flew together in a string of seals, acting in a form of synchronicity, before thrusting their palms upon the ground. "Doton; Doryuuheki!" cried the simultaneous voices. Their Jutsu at first seemed to have no effect, the already shaking ground hiding what was happening on their side. But then the ground in front of them exploded as a colossal wall erupted beneath them, carrying them high into the air. While this wall grew in size, Shinobi who were further back used the mound to ascend, preparing to give their comrades help if need be.

The newly crafted wall shook, dust and dirt crumbling from its face, as with the cries of the village the sand wave struck it. For several long moments, every living soul in Kusagakure believed the defence would crumble, and that it would be the end of them. Some of the sand spilled over the top, an amount enough to force a few of the ninja to take cover. But to everyone's relief the wall held firm, allowing no more than a small percentage of that disastrous event to unfold. But no one relaxed; there was still so much bad that could happen even though things had turned this way.

At the top of the stone wall, a good many ninja stood ready for any follow up attack coming their way. But all they could see was an ocean of sand, reaching several hundred yards in distance. There were many ideas being formed as to where this sand came from, but the only ones who were anywhere close to the truth were the ones with strong enough eyesight to make out the minute form of a person standing atop a boulder to the distance. However before they could pass this news on to those less visually able, that single person made his presence aware with a cry so loud it carried even this massive distance.

"WORLD… OF SAND!"

The desert lying on Kusagakure's doorstep shuddered in shock, as from its centre something seemed to bulge. A huge amount of sand rose from that place, falling off as something appeared from beneath. The two dozen Shinobi steeling themselves couldn't help their paling faces, nor their gaping mouths. Before their very eyes, from the depths of the sand, a monster was appearing.

The mere sight of the thing was terrifying, a creature with blackened eyes and golden irises, a pair of massive jaws and a bestial face that looked like no animal found in these parts. To these people of Kusagakure, who knew little to nothing of monsters like this, there was no explanation of its existence. But this being seemed to care little for their opinions, for almost as soon as it rose, it fell again into the bed of sand, sending tremors all through the village.

For the longest time, nothing seemed to happen, and for the longest time, not one of the Shinobi could move. They were all stricken by a killer intent that far surpassed what any human they knew of could generate, and were paralysed by it. Their fear grew only greater, as the beast did almost nothing. Almost was the correct term, for to the horror of everyone around, the monster opened its mouth.

All was silent at first; it seemed not a cry the beast intended to release. This first impression was taken away, as not long after it the truth was unveiled in the form of a rumbling that shook the very bones of the bravest nin there. From the blackness that was the monster's mouth, a million things came rushing out, releasing shrill cries that filled the air with terror and bloodlust like no other.

Creatures of the sand, an uncountable amount, threw their bodies across the desert with claws, talons and spikes. Giant insects, mammals, avian creatures, even reptilian things crawled, ran and glided their way to the village, with nothing more than slaughter coming from every exhale. These _things_ bore the same markings as the creature they came from, down to the very golden eyes that shone with malice. There would be no mercy from these beings, not for anything with a beating heart.

Apprehensive though the Kusa nin were, they were not so much so that they could not react to this alien sight. As the sand demons tumbled across the desert, Shinobi came flying over the edge of the wall. But no matter how many of Kusagakure's forces came, there was nowhere near enough to take on the enemy one by one. The battle hadn't even started, yet all the humans there knew that they would have to resort to more forceful methods if they wanted even a chance for their village's survival.

Soon the expanse of sand was filled with sound as explosions and shrieks rang out from afar. The sand creatures were an army of animals, fighting as such against a smaller group of humans. Fire, water, wind, earth and lightning. Signs of each of these elements arcing through the air could be seen, along with many other things. Even beast summons were being used, rhinoceroses, tigers and even something that looked like a hybrid between a reptile and a fowl. Indeed, to anyone unfamiliar with the wars of Shinobi, today was a day to turn the most realistic man to the gods, and pray for any hope of the world they once knew. Unfortunately, any such men who existed would soon find the harsh, and sharp reality that their lives were forfeit, at the hands of these impossible terrors.

* * *

Tobi watched silently as all hell broke loose before him, and a battle between man and monster took place. He could ill afford to draw his attention away, glances travelling only between the fast losing Kusagakure and the person responsible for all of this. Tobi knew that a Jutsu like this was beyond mastery of a massive amount of chakra. This sort of thing was no less than inhuman.

He took a few steps back, regarding the situation curiously. The sand creatures failed to show a high amount of vitality, returning to the small desert with little more than a deep slash. But they made up for this with insane numbers; since the start of the attack there hadn't been a moment where the creatures _weren't_ flooding from the Ichibi's mouth. _"Is he remotely controlling them?" _Tobi asked himself, not using the tone Gaara knew him to speak with. In the single eyehole shone the Sharingan eye, which was capable of figuring out any of the chakra natures present in a Jutsu. Yet this was showing him nothing more than demonic chakra present in these monsters. _"No… he only seems focused on creating them. They are made with a command to follow then? Or is it-"_

Before he could finish his thought, a dull roar took him by surprise. Over the top of the Ichibi's head, monsters unlike the others before were crawling to the highest place. These things were like gorillas, but with an extra pair of arms and the mane of a lion. They were easily the biggest and most brutish looking of the lot. But inversely, they didn't appear to be very fast or intelligent. One in particular wasn't even looking at the enemy, it's focus instead on himself and Gaara.

Suddenly that beast let out another roar, before vaulting itself through the air in an incredible display of athleticism. Tobi was in shock as the creature flew through the air towards them, raising its fists in the air to smash down on Gaara's body. But the sand wielder merely glanced at this thing, before raising his hand and tightening it into a fist. Before the gorilla like monster could land, it shattered into a huge pile of sand.

Tobi was speechless. The monster that Gaara had created turned on him, and attacked with the full intent to kill. With this revelation, a stunning answer was thrown his way that even he was hesitant to believe. _"He is using the Ichibi's mind to keep these beasts intact?" _he thought, his one visible eye stretching wide open. Staring openly at Gaara's back, he wondered just how long this person had been capable of such a thing. He was filled with a multitude of thoughts the more he allowed them to flow through his mind, until he forced himself to put a stop to them. _"This power… could he be the most dangerous one of the lot?"_

His red eye narrowed as he continued this thought, watching Gaara closely from behind. The other gorilla beasts were making their slow way over to Kusa, where the defending nin were barely holding up. This meant that he and Gaara were completely alone right now… and with a message like this, there was already no denying the presence of Jinchuuriki, at least from the larger hidden villages. With this in mind… Tobi wondered if there was anything to gain by leaving things as they were. _"It may be safer to take care of him first…"_ he told himself, as his hand snaked out of his sleeve.

His fingers crawled through the air, pale and thin, seeking out Gaara carefully. He knew that a sudden attack would go against him, even if he knew he could succeed. It had nothing to do with Gaara resisting, but rather what might become of those Ichibi creations should the red haired boy's concentration break. It would hardly do if fragments of that demon were running their chakra to the ground while Gaara was nowhere near to pick up the pieces, after all.

But because his thoughts were on things like this, he was taken off guard by what happened before him. The sand at Gaara's feet sharply rose, creating a thin but solid wall between him and Tobi. The masked man almost leapt back, anticipating attack, but noticed that what he could see of Gaara hadn't changed in the slightest. _"He still has his automatic defence?"_ he thought, in solid disbelief. With this final clue, he no longer had any doubt in his belief that Gaara had taken control over the Ichibi, and was using not only its chakra, but its actual mental presence as well. _"Is it because the Ichibi is the weakest?"_

He pondered this for a moment, but was forced to draw his attention away as the sand to either side of them began to move. At first he thought Gaara was up to something else, but when he saw the forms beneath the sand he realised that Kusa was bolder than he first thought. At least four Shinobi had crawled through the very sand Gaara had created, and intended to surround the two of them before attacking. It was very well done indeed. Unfortunately, Tobi was so much faster.

Diving beneath the sand, he caught the Kusa nin's attention. The four enemies tried to leap away in anticipation of an attack, but knew that in doing so they would most likely reveal their position to the red haired boy on the boulder. Instead they came up with the only compromise they could think of, and threw kunai with explosive tags attached all over the place before hastily taking their leave.

The explosion was large, larger than anything happening closer to the village. Sand and smoke flew through the air like birds desperate to find new roost. Though the fire lasted for but a few moments, the result was much more obscure than the ninjas had been expecting. But the revelation that fell before them was nothing compared to what fell upon them, a massive claw created from the sand, which swallowed the ninja into the depths. Gaara had a single eye over his shoulder, and bore not the slightest look of mercy in his golden look. "Gokusa Maisou." he murmured. Then, without waiting to hear the sand crush its captives, he turned his eyes back towards Kusa and ran off without the slightest thought.

From the sand, outside the range of Gaara's attack, Tobi rose in a slow and steady motion. He looked after the departing Jinchuuriki, watching as the sand seemed to rise up to Gaara's body and take form around him. It appeared that Tobi had been completely forgotten, either that or disregarded. In either case, he was alone here, and still deep in thought. _"How could he have mastered techniques on a scale like this without leaving any traces behind?" _he thought, his Sharingan eye narrowing as Gaara joined the fray with his creations. _"It looks like there is more to the power of a Jinchuuriki than even _I_ imagined."_

* * *

The entire village was rapt with fear as the disembodied screams of man and monster alike fell over the stone wall and down below. No one knew just what was going on up there, and no one was staying to find out. The villagers were being escorted through an escape route, but there were still worries that they wouldn't make it out of this alive. All available Shinobi were hurtling for the wall, preparing to meet whatever fate had in store for them up there on that plain. Not a single ninja had returned from that place, whether they were dead or alive was anyone's guess.

Then it came, in a disastrous rush that looked almost like the sand was spilling over the wall. But that wasn't the case. The creatures had overrun the Shinobi and were crawling down the surface of the wall for the fresh prey down there. The ninja at the bottom of the wall tried to protect their village with whatever weapons they had, but their battle was already lost.

The worst of the lot were the polymeliac gorillas, who tore into the great earth wall with enraged roars and pummelling fists. The sheer force they struck Kusa's defence with was enough to send cracks and tremors across the surface, weakening its integrity by a great amount. Though the Shinobi tried to correct any damage that was made, they were sort of preoccupied with the descending forces. In all of this chaos of screams and sand, no one noticed the one human who invaded amongst the monsters.

Gaara's feet never even touched the ground, instead hitting small platforms of sand he crafted at his feet. These platforms moved forward at a phenomenal speed, augmenting what Gaara lacked and allowing him security of where he walked. With the clouds of sand coiling around him, he seemed little more than a dust storm flying through the village. His visibility compared to the monsters behind him made him exist only in the corner of the Kusa forces' eyes. Until, of course, the moment came for him to make his attack. Out of all the creatures he created, none spilled more blood than him.

The sand around him whipped dangerously, never staying in one form for long. Whether they sliced, stabbed, smashed or crushed, every act they did stained it in red. All the while Gaara gave barely the most fleeting glance, his face as grim as a reaper. But his thoughts were not on death and destruction. In fact, in spite of appearances, he had reached a conclusion no one looking would have thought he _could_ reach. _"That's enough deaths._" he thought.

Almost as soon as these words entered his mind, the shrieks and screams of the monsters came to an echoing halt. The beasts all returned to sand, falling into pools of blood and meat, but killing no more. Monsters that had been making their way down the wall crumbled together and struck the ground in a dry rain. All around the place the Shinobi were dumbstruck. Had the person responsible for all this died?

Their reactions were then as sharp as the end of the battle. Too many heads turned their way to the council chamber, as unanimously they all shared the same thought. Their worries were brought true, as the remnants of the sand demons began to billow in a lifeless wind, heading in that very direction. "THE COUNCILMEN!" yelled several voices, as the remaining humans took off in that direction. Though they had been on the verge of losing here, they couldn't sit and lick their wounds when the enemy's goal had been revealed. But all of them felt the same concern; if all this had been a distraction, then if it ended, did that mean they were already too late?

Though the ninja moved fast, gravity and density were not factors to consider for the sand. It rushed through the street in a fine mist, converging on the grandest building in all of Kusa. The large, circular structure was the epicentre of a sandstorm that whirled around threateningly, growing in might until the building itself seemed to disappear. On top of this building, in the middle of the roof, Gaara stood with his hands outstretched and his face set in stone. From this majestic display, he readied the final marker for the enemy's eyes. Far above him, though nowhere near on it true scale, the face of the Ichibi appeared, and released a roar so immense there wasn't a living soul who didn't feel it in their very core.

"IS THIS ALL YOU HAVE? IS THIS WHAT THOSE TWO WANT? THIS IS PITIFUL!"

* * *

Ever since then, when the horrific tornado exploded and drenched the village in sand, Kusa had been unable to relax. The injured were being tended to, the dead moved away. No one had been able to decide what to do with the huge amount of sand littering the place. It was unsafe to leave as it was, but there was nothing that could be done just yet. The civilians were being kept away for now, but soon they would be brought back in to help with the recovery.

Far outside the village, a distance enough that the grassy plains were replaced with trees, Tobi stood with his back against wood. He watched Kusagakure with folded arms, able to visualise the work going to repair what had been done. Though the place was far from completely annihilated, considerable damage had been dealt to it. _"And all because of one person."_ he told himself, regarding Gaara from the corner of his vision. The two had reunited shortly after the sudden end to the attack, and made their way to a safe distance. Now Gaara was resting in the only way he could, meditating on the ground with his eyes closed. _"It looks like despite his control, he still cannot rest properly. Capable of creating an army to eradicate an entire village, and never being able to sleep. It's almost like he's a devil."_

He had to resist a faint chuckle of amusement at that thought, considering the things he already knew in respect to such an idea. He certainly liked the way Gaara did things. Watching him today made him feel slightly nostalgic in fact. If not for the sand wielder's personality, Tobi could almost have seen some of himself in this boy. Neither of them liked to do things on small scales, preferring to display their ability rather than get by unnoticed.

These whimsical thoughts were surpassed however by other troublesome points. It had nothing to do with Gaara's exemplary control of the Ichibi; in fact there was no relation to this mission at all in what he was thinking. _"I came here following a trace of Konan, and yet found this person instead._" he thought, still suspiciously eying the resting boy before him. He had needed to quickly dismiss Kakuzu and take his place, when he found out there was an odd connection between the traitor of Akatsuki and one of the Jinchuuriki. _"I wonder… is there something Nagato has locked away in this mind of his?"_

It was true, taking over Nagato's mind and body had been no simple task. It had taken a long time to get a foothold in that impressive person's form without being found out. And even then, the effect his own presence had had not gone unnoticed. As a result many things in the expansive brain belonging to the person behind the persona of Pein were untouchable even at the hands of Uchiha Madara. Time and effort had allowed him nothing more than Nagato's power, and even then only to an extent.

Tobi's attention refocused as Gaara's eyes slid open, their shade back to their normal hue. He seemed unfocused for a moment, though that changed when he detected the eye of the Akatsuki representative upon him. He rose to his feet with little hesitation, meeting Tobi's gaze without the slightest show of concern, anger or any visible emotion. In a way it was annoying, to be abandoned so inconsiderately. But Tobi was willing to let that point go, since he had failed his appointed task of watching Gaara's back. "Hey Gaara-senpai, that was an incredible job you did!" he announced, in the far less mature voice he wanted Gaara to know him by. He looked up at the sky for several moments, letting out a hum of wonder, before dropping his attention back to his momentary comrade again. "So… what now?"

Gaara looked away from Tobi, over to the village of Kusa. He had been just about to ask that very same question; he had been told nothing of any other tasks needing done. He was sure creating a false Ichibi to let out a cry like that would be more than enough to do the job. So as it was, his mission was now over. "Do whatever you want; I don't need you." he said, turning away and beginning to leave this place behind. "I'm going to back up my comrades, by holding off the Iwa forces that come this way."

As he began his departure, he knew full well that he had Tobi's full attention with that last statement. He wasn't fooled by the façade; that person definitely knew more than he pretended. After all, with someone so inefficient on such an important mission, there couldn't be any other reason behind it than to test the abilities of the Jinchuuriki. If that really was the case, then he was slowly beginning to understand the truth about many things. For starter, he now knew _exactly_ who was responsible for their failure to find Kirabi. After what Konan had told him about Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Sasuke, coupled with rumours he had heard in his investigation of Kumo, the truth was now clear. Akatsuki was hunting the remaining Jinchuuriki.


	18. A commitment of the fickle may never

Phew, by complete luck I managed to work out what the current plotline is. Now there's no way this war can be seen as filler. I've been taking longer to update than I'd like, but I still have time today so I'm gonna get started on the next chapter immediately. That one's probably going to be the hardest of the lot, as I'm sure you will all be able to understand. The last chapter gave me a bar to reach, so I'll try not to disappoint. After that damn epic sand jutsu I've had on my mind for weeks I'm gonna have to meet some pretty tall expectations right?

Disclaimer: Damn week long japanese festivals... the update had better be friggin awesome!

* * *

**A commitment of the fickle may never be honoured**

Back in the days of the Third Great Shinobi World War, there was a place that had once been vital to Iwagakure's supply lines in its battle between Konohagakure and Sunagakure. That place was known as Kannabi Bridge, a nihilistic place despite its importance. It was destroyed during that war however, in a table turning move that allowed Konoha enough room to breathe that it could reclaim some lost ground. And from this sudden rise, there came a name that even to this day was considered an ill omen to the Shinobi of Iwa. That name was "Konoha's Yellow Flash".

With that bridge gone, not only had Iwa's supply line been cut off, but other villages lost out too. Method of transporting heavy equipment depended entirely on two other places. Those places were a valley, and an old abandoned building site. Neither were deemed particularly safe, and so when the war was over the villages usually requiring passage instead found alternatives for their needs in that direction. With all that was happening now however, preferences held little value.

In one of those two places, the abandoned building site, all was as silent as it had been for years. The immense trees loomed over this place, allowing little to no light to shine upon the area. But lighting was far from a primary focus in comparison to what was denied it. In spite of its state the place appeared modern and important, glass windows running across the entire complex allowed for few blind spots when the area was at capacity. Not a single piece of plant or vegetation had been allowed to creep its way into this place; the earth around had been replaced with special dirt that supported none of the ecologic life around.

Inside this building, at a round structure in the highest point, was a place resembling a command centre. Though none of the computers and other such things were operational, there was still an eerily out of time feeling about this place. It was this place that Yagura and the Akatsuki associates gathered, the ones known as Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo. The one person not belonging with the others had slid in rather readily to his former Mizukage stature, with the help of the long remembering Suigetsu.

This person, Yagura of course, sat reclined on the central hub of computers as if it were a throne, wearing a readily relaxed expression as he looked out through the windows and to the road ahead. Scattered around the room were the others, quietly doing things that Yagura almost understood. Suigetsu sat with his back against the wall, drinking from a flask as he studied the swords on his lap. Karin was inexplicably attempting to matt her unkempt hair using the darkened reflection in a computer screen and Juugo stood before a shattered window, seeming to speak to a small bird perched on his finger. Yagura couldn't tell if these were pre battle rituals or just unnecessary habits, but they couldn't help catching his attention. That, and one other thing.

"So where is your fearless leader anyway?" he asked, propping his hands behind his head as he casually glanced to the others in the room. He had been told that he would be meeting with a team of four, yet he had met no one other than these three since he arrived in this place. He had managed to wheedle some information out of the quiet giant Juugo, but Suigetsu and Karin were respectively tight lipped around him. Even then however, all he had learned was the name Uchiha Sasuke, and then something about a cage that didn't make the slightest bit of sense. "Got more important business to take care of?"

"Of course he does!" Karin sharply replied, shooting a dirty look over her shoulder that Yagura couldn't help feeling was uncalled for. Yet by the limited reaction from Juugo, and the faint tone of annoyance from Suigetsu, such a thing was not to be taken personally. True enough, out of the three of them Yagura definitely found Karin's personality to be one of the foulest he had ever encountered. "Why else wouldn't he be here if he didn't have bigger things to worry about?"

Suigetsu sniggered at this, and earned a glare from Karin. Though she felt anger at him, Yagura was far from feeling the same. Something told him that if he had to stick with someone like Karin for all this time, he'd be keen to find other business to deal with as well. If not the fact that she seemed almost compulsively snide, there was the way that she had gotten over the fact that Yagura was once a terrifying Mizukage too quickly for his liking. _"Man… this mission is actually pretty bothersome."_ he thought to himself, as he turned his gaze up to the ceiling. _"I wonder how those two are doing so far?"_

Silence returned to the room once again, though the atmosphere was not quite the same. Karin had an undesirably foul look upon her face, and Suigetsu was tossing his now empty flask aside with an equally discontented expression. There was definitely no sense of comradery in this group, quite the opposite in fact. What pieced them together was not a strong bond of friendship, as went without saying.

The only one of the three not to take part in these tense feelings was Juugo, who seemed to have his focus on the finch before him increase. The look on his face did not go unnoticed, and soon he had earned the corner gaze of the others in the room. Realising this, he lightly shooed the bird away before turning to face his "allies". "There's an armed convoy heading this way." he explained, his words alone having to convey the meaning his expression couldn't manage. "It looks like they know the last few didn't make it through. They'll be looking to attack this place soon."

As all the half gazes turned into full ones, the group came to understand the weight of Juugo's words. Though they had been successful in eradicating all the Ame forces that came through this way, it was still true that some could get through the valley a few miles away. That was the way it had been planned, so there really shouldn't have been any surprise about an outcome like this. In fact, they already had precautions prepared for this very situation.

Placing his hands on either side of him, Yagura effortlessly slid off the broken computers and dropped down onto the cold hard floor. As he did this, the others began to assemble for the planning that had been decided to be left with Yagura himself. Since Karin had been the only one to oppose, it was an easy decision. "Alright, time for a change of plans." he said, looking between the other three with the eyes of someone only vaguely interested. "Karin, you stay as "disease". Suigetsu, you're "death", Juugo is "ascetic" and I am "time". We'll take this slow, don't allow them to find out there are only a few of us here."

While no one was surprised at Karin's assigned role, the rest of it was far from what they had been expecting to hear. To give Juugo the role of ascetic like this was almost like paving the way for the enemy to pass on through. "Wait a minute, am I misunderstanding the roles here?" Suigetsu asked, beating Karin to the punch. Since the meeting with Yagura he had relaxed, but still had uncertain feelings about the person who gave Kiri the name Blood mist village. "You're not _seriously _putting Juugo in the back are you?"

This question was far from unexpected; Yagura knew well that few people would understand his reasoning. All the same, it seemed like for the safety of good progression he needed to go through the roles one more time. "Karin, under the role of "disease", works from the basement using her sensor ability and the array of traps I set out with my sealing method." he explained, loosely crossing his arms over with a faint hint of vexation in his tone. "As "death" Suigetsu takes the enemy head on, holding them back so that I, "time", can work towards the final trap. Juugo's "ascetic" role has him watching over the situation from the rear, taking action where necessary."

Though his confirmation was little needed, he knew well it was not asked. The three of them were awaiting explanation, though Juugo was the only one who didn't seem to mind his assigned role. With that one there was a chance he could avoid combat altogether; something he was keen to do. "We know the roles already, what we don't know is why you would lay them out like that!" Karin exclaimed, throwing her hands down in a childish fit.

Yagura pinched his nose as he let out a sigh, already beyond irritated with this chore of a woman. He was really tempted to tell her nothing, since she herself withheld whatever she could. But he knew that aside from being petty, that would result in her refusal to do as he asked. "Our goal isn't to completely stop Ame's forces, it's to make it clear that the other side has powerful Shinobi on their side." he replied, in as calm a tone as he could muster at that time. "Even the final move won't be a certain kill; we need them to think that we're weakening so that when we leave it looks like that's the reason."

Whether they finally understood or not was meaningless for him, since at the very least he knew they couldn't leave. No matter how smart or stupid they were, they weren't going to run away when a group like Akatsuki had a hold on them. With this in mind he knew he could safely leave for his intended place, taking a door to the far side of the room. They had their roles now, and with the way things had gone the past couple of times, there was little need for Yagura to worry.

* * *

The thing about ninja from a place like Amegakure is that they all share a common trait. Like it or not, the common rain that filled their home made training difficult. It was damn near impossible to hone one's senses during storms, since sight, sound, smell, and even the ability to detect vibrations were greatly hindered. Finding method to compensate for this had been tough, since sensing chakra was an ability far surpassing what mere Genin were capable of.

Eventually the village decided that rather than find a way to detect through the rain, they would work towards masking themselves with it. If they could hide in what gave their village its name, then all they had to do was wait for an opponent unfamiliar with the terrain to make the slightest error. In any reckoning, this followed the ninja way much more than the methods of the other lesser villages.

But in this situation, what had once been their advantage was not so easily relied on. The rainforests held a near infinite number of blind spots that gave as much of an advantage to the enemy as it did to themselves. There was also a great deal of shelter from the rain that _did_ come, making any conflicts held in these places even more troublesome. That was why the Ame forces working their way through here were keen to be on their way, to find terrain they could more easily handle.

That went for the Shinobi, but even more so for what came along with them. War machines trailed across the dirt, leaving deep scars as their weight dragged through. Huge ballistae and other weapons wielding massive projectiles were being taken through; this convoy was far from a supply group. With things like these, even a castle was not impossible to destroy. That was the debilitating truth of the situation. Ame was ready and prepared to destroy absolutely anything that stood between them and their enemy, and would so without a moment's hesitation or mercy. It was funny then, that not a person among them had the slightest clue just what they were fighting for.

"There it is!" announced one of the Ame nin, who led the large group through the woods. Faintly through the trees he had managed to spot the first signs of the complex up ahead. This was the place where their convoys had supposedly been stopped altogether, without a single survivor getting away. So in tune with this little mystery, the Shinobi kept his voice relatively low. "The enemy should be just ahead of us! Should we prepare to open fire?"

Further back in the group, walking amongst the ballistae, was the leader of this group. He was a man wearing a large respirator on his mouth, and adorned a helmet with a thick pair of goggles. None of his face could be seen. "We don't know how many there are, or how prepared they are." he called out, his voice matching his face; absolutely blank. "We will send in a scouting party first, then depending on the results we will either attack immediately or distract and flank. Team Kosame will check the base, team Rein will prepare the eastern flank while team Otaki readies the western side. Everyone else hide yourselves; perhaps we can make them think our forces are smaller than they are."

Obedient as ever, the Ame nin followed their orders without hesitation and without error. The teams tending the ballistae demonstrated their readiness by throwing a leaf and vine covered net over their exceedingly obvious weapons, before disappearing into the shadows themselves. While teams Kosame, Rein and Otaki were still leaving proximity, their comrades were already well into hiding. _That_ was how Ame ninja operated.

Team Kosame, a four man cell compromising of two Shinobi and two Kunoichi, moved silently over the muddy trail towards the place that was their designated target. These four nin dressed uniformly in flak jackets and respirators, their dark cloaks billowing behind them as they moved. Their visage lasted only a short moment however, as their hands lifted to the ram seal and their bodies appeared to dissipate as if they were made of ink. Soon they too were impossible to distinguish from their surroundings, their camouflage technique almost impeccable. The team was impossible to see, and impossible to hear. So that begged the question; what was that sound which just passed by them? Before they could answer that, the blood spurting from gashes on their invisible bodies eagerly responded.

Suigetsu streaked through the mud, his two large blades hooked around either side of him as he crouched down. His body was not the small skinny form it had been before; both his arms and legs had bulked up to huge proportions, seeming elephantine in comparison. _"I guess this proves it." _he thought to himself, a smirk playing across his lips as he looked on ahead. This was only the third time he had been allowed to actually use these swords, and as such he was still learning a thing or two about them. _"They get lighter in combat… like they like killing too!"_

He didn't waste any time giving his position away. The Ame forces were already giving up their disguises even while trying to figure out how they had been discovered so easily. Staying still would most definitely be a painful experience. And so with that in mind, he dashed off to his right into the thicket of trees, ascending them with a series of rapid jumps that soon had him several stories above ground. Clinging on to a branch above, he looked down to the Shinobi gathering below, a rather unhinged yet eager look about him. _"Sasuke's not here to tell me not to… I'm gonna get my fill!"_

* * *

The basements of the building site had been subject to many expansions over the years it was in use. As a result, it ran farer than the reaches of the complex by about double the radius. That gave for a good mile worth of tunnels in any direction, and therefore a lot of space for many things. However at this time the tunnels were abandoned, with nothing more than air vents to keep oxygen and no light whatsoever. It wasn't exactly the best sort of place to be running around in. But on the other hand, it could be a lot worse.

Yagura moved as quickly as he could, knowing that enthusiastic though Suigetsu was, he wasn't smart enough to take on an entire battalion of trained Shinobi. If he didn't get backup fast, their distraction would fall. to this end, Yagura hastily formed a series of one handed seals as necessity required, before taking from his full hand a large paper square marked with a circle of seals and the kanji for water in the centre. He planted this seal on the floor right beneath one of the said vents, flipping through the air so not to lose any speed. The stack in his hand was still quite full, something he would work hard to remedy.

Faint sounds of battle fluttered down from the smaller vents, the most common noise being that of metal clashing on metal, if not the sound of yells. Suigetsu was clearly doing a grand job of holding the enemy back, but by the frequency of the blade clashes it was obvious he was overwhelmed. _"Looks like I was right not to send Juugo there."_ Yagura thought to himself, as he began yet another string of single seals for the next oncoming vent. _"He fights hard, but his close range style isn't suited for taking on multiple enemies of unknown styles. He'll offer support from afar, he can certainly do that much."_

As he planted the next seal upon the ground, he once more considered putting his scheme to a quick end and assisting Suigetsu up there. It would be an easy case to just seal the enemy away, but the cost of that technique was that Yagura couldn't move, and that the Jutsu was absolutely indiscriminate. Aside from that, there was need to doing things this way. Just getting rid of the enemy this time wasn't enough; they needed to destroy this pathway as well. That way Ame would have only one secure route, and make them more paranoid about using it. That was exactly what would be beneficial to a mercenary group like Akatsuki.

"_Then again, it's not like Ame is gonna lose this war."_ Yagura thought dryly. What he knew of this war was something that was under no circumstances to become public knowledge; he knew that without being told. The truth that Amegakure was being run by the same person in control of Akatsuki meant that Ame's choices would always be exactly where Akatsuki wanted it. To put it in simple terms, where it seemed that Akatsuki only had themselves and Yoinokuchi on their side, in actual fact they had an entire army already. _"That Pein guy has complete control… this war is a total charade."_

As he ran through the pitch black halls, guided only by the echoes his expertly trained ears knew to detect, he couldn't help noticing that the sounds of battle seemed to be distancing. From the looks of things, Suigetsu was drawing the battalion into Karin's range, which told him a lot about what was going on. Yagura took a sharp right turn as the small pockets of facts dictated the scale of the fight. All he would need to do was follow the sounds, and then all could be over soon. He was eager to get this mission over with; there were things he needed to-

FUHROOOSH!

Yagura literaly grinded to a halt, his eyes widening in shock as earth, stone and light filled his vision. Some indomitable force had crushed the ground above and drove the ceiling to the floor, leaving a huge opening to the world above. The crashing force of it was augmented by the crippled bodies in amongst the rubble, coupled with the face of the only person Yagura knew of in proximity capable of such a feat. The maddened eyes of Juugo were decorated by gross grey markings spread across his face, and a grin so huge it looked painful. Before Yagura could so much as say a word, this erratic person had already raised his head and leapt back out of the hole in search of more prey.

He didn't waste any time; he _needed_ to know what the situation was. Disembarking from the shadows he returned to the surface, avidly looking around for anyone, ally _or_ enemy. But all he could see were bodies and destroyed ballistae, pieces of both littering everywhere in sight. At least half the battalion had to be dead by now, for there to be such a grotesque sight here. Turning to the building sight, Yagura hurried to find Suigetsu.

After he leapt up to the trees, he found a suitable spot to perform a daring leap, straight into the midst of the enemy. There he found Suigetsu, who was busy swinging his blades around both offensively and defensively. "What the hell happened?" Yagura demanded, as he whipped his staff from behind him and slammed the larger end deep into the stone ground. All around them the ground exploded as powerful geysers shot raging hot water into the air, causing a mist that mimicked the heat of the battle around.

With this momentary defence, the white haired boy pressed his back against Yagura's and scanned the situation, already assessing that these geysers would be a bad thing to get close to. "He got flanked on both sides and completely lost it!" he yelled over the screeching noise of the spouts. Both he and Yagura looked up as they saw kunai with explosive tags arc over the tops of the geysers and begin to descend towards them; turning their barrier into a prison. "Didn't we say it was a bad idea to have him out in the open?"

Before Yagura could offer any response, the two of them were forced to part. Suigetsu took on an aquatic form that made him look like an ice sculpture, before using it to leave the geysers unharmed. Yagura on the other hand simply stopped one of them, using the opening to make his escape. Outside that place was a Shinobi waiting for him, but Yagura was much too prepared for a feeble ambush like that. With a sweeping notion he locked the Shinobi's head in the larger hook of his weapon, before throwing said Shinobi into the last of the skin melting water behind.

Despite Suigetsu's sharp words, the advantage was far from lost for them. Yagura had only been startled by Juugo's untimely appearance, and annoyed by the disruption to his plan. But it couldn't be farther from the truth to say they were in trouble. _"All I have to do… is improvise."_ he thought, while landing behind a pile of tarpaulin covered crates for cover. Already he had his plan formed out, with only a few pieces needed before he could declare checkmate. "Light it up Karin!"

While Suigetsu fought off the enemies converging on him, and Juugo played around with even more, an even greater distraction was offered as a series of explosions ran from inside the buildings, triggering a rain of glass and stone. While the Ame ninja avoided being damaged by the sharp downpour, Yagura hopped up onto the crates and threw his hands together in a string of seals, ending with both his hands clapping together. "Suiton: Emergence of the Nine Headed Dragon!" he called out, momentarily earning the attention of everyone around. That was not to last.

The ground shook slightly, not quite a tremor, more like a strong vibration. The Ame nin set out their defences, seeking high ground to avoid whatever was going to happen, but only to learn in horror that it was futile. Like the geysers before, water erupted from vents in the ground, a massive amount that fired even higher than the trees could reach. These aqueous plumes flew sky high, but soon began to quiver and shake as form was taken onto them. In a mere moment later, the ten remaining Ame nin, as well as Yagura's comrades, were staring stunned at the nine titanic dragons of water leering down at them with blood red eyes.

As everyone watched this incredible spectacle, Yagura quickly moved through the little secret of his technique. All the work he had gone through alone was simply towards creation of these massive beasts. But to actually utilise them, he needed yet another string of seals. "Dance of the Nine Water Dragons." he spoke, with his hands resting on the same seal as his Jutsu was named. For this event he felt secure enough to close his eyes, for the enemy would not have an opening with which to stage an attack against him.

Fulfilling their role as gods of serpents, the dragons snaked through the air at a heart stopping speed, converging around and over each other in a conflicting mass of currents that hit the complex like a monsoon. The buildings could not handle the opposing forces, and soon the necks of those dragons were full of massive chunks of brick and steel. Not even the roof of the place was above these things; the Shinobi were far from safe. With full confidence that the team allegedly named Taka had made their escapes, Yagura progressed with his land altering Jutsu without a worry in his mind.

Taking a step forward, his place being one of few untouched by the nine dragons, he readied himself for the conclusion to his grand trick. Privately he thought to himself that if anyone else were to attempt a Jutsu like this even to this point, their chakra reserves would reach an extreme low. _"Lucky I have the Sanbi then."_ he told himself, as he formed the final string of seals to complete his complicated Jutsu.

"Raiton: Mankan's Curse!" he called, pulling both his arms back with his palms facing one of the writhing dragons. His half clenched fingers sparked with white lightning that grew in size until both his arms were filled with the loud, crackling energy. As one of the Ame nin was pulled through the current, Yagura threw his hands into the water. Immediately the electricity gathered in his arms exploded, arcing said lightning across the entirety of the water dragon. This spread quickly across the nine others, until the conflicting vortex buzzed with the blinding white light.

Nothing could be heard of the Ame nin inside, but Yagura felt sure their respirators were exploding right about now. With a steady exhale he stopped the outflow of chakra, and allowed the Jutsu to come to an end. The lightning stopped with the dispersing dragons, causing a flood that roared out in every direction. Yagura leapt across the still moving debris, finding his way to the tall trees above. There he sat down for a slight rest, his breathing a little heavy at the feat he had just accomplished.

Unfortunately for him, rest was not something he was to be allowed much of. The enemy was certainly taken care of, if not dead then unconscious, but it was not them that chose to disturb him. Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo appeared on nearby branches, none looking all too happy. "A bit of warning would have been nice!" Karin scolded, showing her place as the angriest of the lot. Actually, she was the only one displaying anger. Suigetsu and Juugo, who had thankfully calmed down, were still watching the remnants of Yagura's technique. The building site they had been guarding was now completely destroyed, rubble covering the entirety of the place. "We were supposed to be guarding this place!"

Yagura let out a groan of annoyance; it was hard enough keeping his senses open to any of the enemy still kicking without being tormented with stupid people at the same time. _"How often am I going to have to put this idiot in her place?" _he asked himself, as he raised his head to look at her through tired eyes, mixing the look with the irritation he clearly felt. "We're not supposed to be guarding _anything_ moron, we're here to make sure the enemy can't get through here." he said, before brandishing his arm towards the ruins he had just created. "We stuck around long enough for them to know this place didn't fall in disrepair, but that it was actually destroyed to keep convoys from getting through. It's not perfect, but it'll do for what we need. We're done here, we can move on, whatever."

Once more Karin displayed her incredible ability for hearing only what interested her. She was annoyed at being called moron, as her momentarily bugged out eyes suggested, but she couldn't deny what Yagura said either. Moreover, it was the last part that she seemed most attentive to. "If that's the case, then we'll be catching up to Sasuke right away." she said, turning away from Yagura. Though her back was to him, Yagura could see the faintest tint of red not of her hair, but of her cheeks. "I'm sure he'll be wondering where I am."

For the second time that day it seemed that Karin had said something Suigetsu found amusing. He ignored her glare and slid his blades into the scabbards on his back, before meeting her gaze with a smirk. "Yeah, I bet he's getting sick of the peace and quiet by now, right?" he remarked, taking a step back to avoid Karin's swipe. Though he was just another comment away from engaging in another little desire of his Sasuke wouldn't get in the way for, he was suddenly struck with another thought altogether. "Hey, what to you think that guy… uh… the guy with the weird orange mask wanted with Sasuke anyway?"

Karin, who had also been keen of ridding herself of Suigetsu's presence, was distracted by this question. Placing a hand on her hip and flicking her hair with the other she immediately adopted an assertive position she had little right to. "How should I know what people like him are up to?" she irritably demanded, before shooting yet another sharp look Suigetsu's way. "And you should at least remember the name of the leader! It's Madara you idiot!"

Before Suigetsu and Karin could bicker further, they were silenced by something completely intangible. Looking between each other, those two and Juugo took a moment to realise that the massive killer intent they were sensing came in fact from Yagura. Before the stupider of the three could enquire as to what was happening, Juugo murmured to them that they should leave. Suigetsu didn't complain, and Karin was left with two votes to one. Their actual voices didn't reach Yagura, but he did notice them leaving. However, in this case he really couldn't possibly care less. Behind his eyes, one of his tormented memories had torn its way to the surface, distracting him from everything else. "Madara…" he breathed, his eyes livid and his skin pale. "… I'll kill those two…"


	19. Time waits for none, fate pulls them

It's been a while since I managed a wo day update, hopefully this means I'm getting back on track. This chapter marks the end to the current arc, hopefully a satisfying one alongside the previous two. It seemed I was right not to include each fight in all the chapters, since that way makes it seem unnecessarily long. I'll keep that in mind since it's also easier on me. All things in account I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Disclaimer: At the end of part 2, I said that I would be practicing scenes of a certain nature. Well I completed that before even starting part 3, but haven't uploaded it yet. Is there anyone who would be interested in reading it?

* * *

**Time waits for none, fate pulls them together**

Water drizzled from the stony sky in a weak rain, scattering across the land with only the slightest of sound. The clouds filled the entirety of sight up there, allowing none of the sky to be seen through it, and only a little of the sun. There was a feeling that this rain was to grow into a fierce storm, but that feeling had remained for a while now with no fruition. The heavens seemed to just lightly ring out their fluid, with no real intention behind what they did. Quiet and simple.

This was not the case for the world below. The ground was hard and devoid of all plant life, in spite of the thick forests not a hundred yards behind. This place had once been like that too, but signs of an unusual battle had erased any traces of the trees and grass. It was almost as if the stone ground had been placed there with the intent of crushing what lay underneath. Indeed, either the person responsible for this was strong, or the people who did this cooperated well.

The rain… well, though it was still very quiet in itself, it was not unaided in its lacking noise. Other sounds overtook it with force, the sounds of war cries and clashing blades. At a place a distance away from the landfill, there was a break in the land of a long corridor sided with a short and broad valley. Here was the camp built by Takigakure, where all its war forces had been placed and all their weapons had gathered. This was a place that no enemy would attack head on, without first weakening other aspects. That was the belief anyway. But at the moment there was none to claim that point, for they were too busy defending their base.

The walls made of severed trees shook as they were struck by a group of Shinobi who had been thrown from their feet. Flaming lanterns fell to the ground and spread their blazing oil across the earth, ignorant to the drizzle from above. There wasn't a single sleeping soul in this place, but there were many dead. For those who didn't fit that grim role, they were locked in the heat of combat by two terrifying demons. This fight had waged for a long time, with no foresight of an immediate end.

The first of these demons was Uzumaki Naruto, who seemed to be acting to only a fraction of his potential. His eyes scanned the area and picked out the highest ranking opponents; the ones exuding high levels of physical and mental energy. Those were the ones he made his targets, ignoring the weaker grunts as he ran through the crowds and ran his blade through the enemy. Blood had sprayed across his body, streaking him from every angle like war paint from hell.

The second demon couldn't help being attentive to Naruto's efforts, his own unique eyes watching everything around. Hyuuga Neji never stayed in the same place for more than a heartbeat, his fingertips stabbing the enemy from the most awkward and painful places he knew of. Though the only blood he had shed was what was his opponent's coughed up, meaning that rain stains aside he was completely clean. Impressive though this was however, on this occasion Neji's smirk was nowhere to be seen.

"_His assessments of the enemy rank and file have been flawless!"_ he thought to himself, as he suddenly took on a low stance. Whipping his arm and leg around, he spun on the spot and generated a spherical field of chakra that deflected the barrage of kunai thrown at him with the efficiency of solid steel. Those very same kunai struck the wrong targets, making his job even easier. _"He chose to attack without taking any time to study the enemy, and yet has not succumbed to that disadvantage! He can't possibly have learned to read people so well, it took me years to master that art!"_

The veins on his temples tensed further as he focused on Naruto, without losing his notice on what was happening around him. The blond boy was attacking in a frenzy, cutting the enemy as if they were water in the air. Neji took note as the Shinobi who had converged on Naruto suddenly leapt back, and a huge boulder came arcing across the sky, courtesy of a catapult. Yet to the Hyuuga's amazement, Naruto didn't dodge or break the boulder. With a thrust of his palm, he_ sent the rock flying straight back to its sender._ The ninja operating that device threw themselves aside just as the catapult exploded, sending shards of wood and iron everywhere.

Neji was forced to acknowledge the strength of that attack, but wouldn't allow any more than that. In an attempt to test his own skill, he pulled his palm back with his fingers curled in, before throwing it out to the approaching Takigakure ninja. "Hakke Kuushou!" he called, creating a powerful vacuum at his hand that blasted into the enemy nin and sent them flying back. Though he had succeeded in sending five full grown men and a woman crashing back over two dozen yards, even his own arrogance wouldn't fool him of the comparative power. _"Sheer force perhaps… but aside from that and his eyes, what else does he have?"_

As the fight progressed further on, both Neji and Naruto were forced to accept a slight truth. With the number of enemies decreasing, the Taki nin had more room to move, and therefore could fight more ably. This was shown when the two intruders began to notice formation among the enemy, including an increase to their ability to dodge the oncoming attacks. Though the bodies of their comrades were still warm, these ninja passed them not the slightest look. These guys were here to get revenge, not distract themselves.

Naruto saw this well, and had already taken off in preparation for the anticipated attacks. A small group of ninja were running along side him, providing him with a wall of opponents that was growing dangerously tighter. Naruto was of course not impressed with this, though he did return a smirk as he slipped the Ekokaeten onto his back. Then, with great force, he threw both of his palms to the ground and leapt into the air, using the propulsion of wind to give his jump a massive boost. There was no way those ninja could follow him like this.

During his moment of aviation, he quickly took in the sight around him. Neji was handling the enemy on his side with effortless efficiency, acting slower than Naruto but showing no signs of physical stress. Those eyes of his allowed him to know exactly what was going on around him, and judging by the way he leapt to avoid an attack from below, he could also see underground. _"There's no way I'm gonna lose!" _Naruto told himself, as he returned his attention to his own trajectory. The enemy were already making their assault, hurling kunai and shuriken his way. He could see that there was no way he could block all of these, and so resorted to the first Jutsu he ever mastered. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Replicas of Naruto flickered suddenly into existence, three copies with their backs to each other. These imitations moved in synchronisation to the original, pulling their blades around and blocking the oncoming attacks perfectly. Then the group of four landed on the ground, immediately setting to work on taking care of the Shinobi in proximity. As those ninja anticipated the Narutos' attacks, they leapt back to dodge. The fake Narutos made these efforts useless however, by hurling their blades like oversized projectiles. The results were fatal.

The real Naruto however was already back into the heat of things. The Taki forces had begun to use Jutsu, and well thought out ones at that. The first wave had perfect precision and direction; a series of water bullets were thrown his way even while earth clones rose from all around. And if that wasn't bad enough, Naruto was pretty sure he could see a couple of Shinobi imbuing fuuma shuriken with what looked like Fuuton chakra. _"Nice combination… but way too uniform!"_ he thought to himself, as he came to a skidding halt.

For a moment only he hesitated, privately hoping he was outside Hyuuga Neji's range of vision. But he quickly eliminated that concern, as he dropped down into a lower stance identical to what that person used not too long ago. Whipping his arms around in a rapid spin, Naruto shaped and pushed his Fuuton chakra out from his entire body. "Hurricane Rising!" he called, as from his chakra a cyclone was born, a vortex of wind hurtling around his entire body. This cyclone rose into the air, greying as it picked up dust and dirt from all over. The water bullets hit this and immediately exploded, unable to pass through. But Naruto wasn't done just yet. Bringing himself to a sudden stop, the cyclone exploded into countless blades of wind that flew off in every direction, turning the atmosphere a hazy red as the enemies were cut to ribbons. With his proximity now clear, he turned to the place that was the epicentre of combat now, with a look on his face that displayed one thing. "Beat _that!_"

Although the slight shame of being seen by the person whom he had imitated stung, it was overcome by the self pride gained from the result. That was what Neji saw on Naruto's face, even while he struck the hearts of two Shinobi at the same time. _"I wonder… is he boasting to me?"_ he thought, reading Naruto's lips with a curious cock of his brow. So even in the course of this battle, that person had time to think about other things? _"Well then… if we are going to play around, I'll use this as an opportunity to try new things."_

With that thought, his smirk returned to his face. Neji was the sort of person who rose to challenges, his performance rising during times of adversity. The best way to explain it would be to say that when he was interested, he really gave it his all. This was one of those occasions; after all, Naruto seemed to have a grudge against him for some unthinkable reason. _"After this he will certainly know his place." _Neji confidently thought, as he began to run towards the ninja gathered up ahead. He was indeed about to try something off the top of his head, though he was unsure about its effectiveness. Setting one hand out before him and the other behind, he made a sudden awkward movement that turned into a spinning run, one that generated the same chakra field as he used to defend. "Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Devastating Spin!"

Even from a distance the sight didn't fail to piss Naruto off. The sphere of chakra that had surrounded Neji barrelled straight through a group of Shinobi and sent them flying, scattering a crowd into nothingness in moments. Immediately he was filled with the desire to go full throttle, to show this guy that there was no way he was going to lose here. But his repertoire of Jutsu was coming to a close, and he really hated overusing the same methods. He needed to come up with something new, and fast, since Neji had finished his little comeback and had resumed normal combat.

What had first been a mission with only passing glances to each other turned into something else entirely; a battle where neither opponent intended to wound the other. This was a competition to see who was strongest, who could take out the most enemies before having to stop. A test of skill, power and speed, something that neither the two combatants were lacking. As the two of them came to a stop, their eyes met through the crowd. From here on out, the true challenge would begin. A Shinobi passed between the two of them, and they were already gone.

The first round, silently declared as the Taijutsu round, was quite the interesting one. Neji utilised the ability of his Byakugan to perform the Hyuuga's signature Gentle Fist, an art which allowed the user to directly attack the chakra pathway system. Every blow he dealt was severely damaging; if it didn't fatally wound, it cut off the opponent's chakra flow enough to confuse them. Even the water clones sent his way succumbed to the slightest strike, sending a veil of water scattering everywhere around him.

He wasn't the only one with a powerful style of combat however. Naruto had created his own unique style, which he had dubbed "Wind Palm". With this style, he aimed not to damage the opponent's muscle and skeletal structure, like most Taijutsu, or even the internal organs, like Neji's. The Wind Palm had another target altogether; the cardiovascular system. Using dozens of chakra blades created around his hands, he sliced through his opponent's veins and let their heart pump the blood out of their own body. This was a comparatively more brutal style, as Naruto hit the enemy hard to ensure that even body armour was not an adequate defence. Wherever his strikes connected, blood sprayed in a mist that painted both friend and foe in the morbid colour, and stained Naruto's hands further.

Takigakure could clearly see their forces dwindling, yet still believed they could defeat these foes with swarming methods. To compensate for their falling numbers a good few of them ran through a series of hand seals, before biting into their thumbs and planting their hands on the ground. "KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!" they cried, as large clouds of smoke engulfed their forms. Those clouds then exploded as forms shot straight up from them, giant birds with their summoners riding aloft. These massive brown falcons beat their wings above the battlefield, while their owners used the tactical advantage that neither the intruders possessed.

Neji witnessed the new additions to Takigakure's defence with interest, seeing not a threat but an opportunity. He looked over to Naruto's place with his Byakugan, seeing that the blond boy was also paying attention to these new foes. _"Well then, I wouldn't guess there is anything he can do about _them_." _he thought to himself, with a heightened sense of superiority. With the targets around him keeping their distance; showing they had finally learned the lethality of his Taijutsu, he had room to raise his sleeve. _"It looks like _I_ will win the challenge of range then-"_

Before he could so much as finish his thought, he was shocked to see that Naruto had disappeared from his Byakugan's sight. All that caught his vision was a huge blast of wind, which created cracks in the earth below. That moment of disbelief ended as Naruto managed to ascend the awesome height the falcons had achieved, hovering just for a moment in the middle of these five creatures. For just a moment he released the grip on his blade, and formed a hand sign. His hold on his weapon returned before it had the chance to lose any height, the need to let go of it gone. Naruto kicked off his quickly crafted Kage Bunshin, and shot straight towards the nearest eagle.

With the finesse to fool many into thinking he was an expert in such things, Naruto grabbed onto the beak of the falcon with his one free hand. Using the momentum to whip around the neck of the bird, he delivered a kick that threw the rider off and down to the ground below. Then, with bone crunching results, Naruto used a blast of wind that crippled the huge bird to make a further ascension to the next one. This falcon was given no chance to resist, as the Ekokaeten pierced its chest. The shrieking scream was soon a memory though, as the blond boy turned his aim to two of the beasts who were close together. But with a swing of his sword, and a blade of wind, that duo was easily felled. All that was left was the final one, and with a downward plunge, the neck of that creature was impaled.

The five grand birds tumbled to the ground, blood flowing and screams breaking through the grey sky. They hit the ground with an earth shaking smash, the impact silencing them forever. The only living thing to depart from this rapid descent was Naruto, who stepped off the back of one of those fallen falcons. With a swing of his sword he scored blood and feathers across the dirt, his own face now smeared in the stuff. To all that looked, they saw not just a blood soaked demon with pitiless eyes, but a blood soaked demon who showed not _the slightest sign_ of fatigue. That was perhaps the most terrifying aspect of all.

There was a clear divide between two very special groups. First was the Takigakure ninja, who stood to the north with their eyes wide in horror. Second was the place littered in blood and disfigured bodies, not to mention the two people solely responsible for this feat. Those two stood tall, closer together than they had anticipated, yet not the least bit concerned for their odds. Among the Taki nin, the last remaining generals reached the same conclusion, and began to depart. "Everyone fall back!" they ordered, with little complaint coming from their subordinates. The Taki forces tossed every distraction they had, smoke bombs, flash bombs, even _stink_ bombs, all for the sake of taking their leave. Naruto made to follow them, but was stopped by Neji's outstretched hand.

"Remember that this is a war that must continue at all costs." the Hyuuga said, as the veins at his temples receded. He had more than spilled his fare share of blood in this battle; it was only his pride that kept him standing tall. If not for the fact that Naruto was here, he was sure he would have yielded to his own fatigue by now. "Letting Taki escape for now to recollect themselves will make for more desperate acts. If everything goes as planned, there will be no sense of tactical achievement from any of the opposing forces."

With the adrenaline of that messy battle still pumping through his system, Naruto wasn't in the mood for listening to what someone like _him_ had to say. Knocking Neji's hand out of the way, he replaced the Ekokaeten on his back and stepped away, looking to see if there was anything worth retrieving. This caught the Hyuuga boy's interest and attention, causing him to forget about Naruto's gesture in place for his own curiosity. "For someone who fights with such passion, this is an unusual thing to see in the aftermath." he commented, slipping his hand against his waist as he studied Naruto closely. "Aren't you receiving enough as it is to-"

"Shut up!" Naruto growled, loosely looking at a scroll he managed to find. He knew that he looked like a scavenger right now, but he also knew that he couldn't do nothing when he felt like this. Now was the perfect chance to take care of Neji, whose mental and physical energies were drained from what they had just gone through. But things didn't make sense to him; why was Neji affiliated with Akatsuki in the first place? Until he had an answer, he knew he couldn't be satisfied with finishing this now. "Don't act like I'm some sort of animal. I do what I need to do because it's what needs to be done!"

Neji took a moment to work out what Naruto meant by that nonsensical comment, in the end judging it as something that only those who had led a life like him could understand. "A perfectly bestial response." he commented, with a faint twitch to his smirk. The rain from above mysteriously let up, denying the promised storm almost treacherously so. Neji regarded Naruto's fierce yellow eyes, and remembered times when a different colour filled those orbs. "Is it really your place to say such things, considering who you truly are inside?"

That was more than Naruto could handle, more than he would allow Neji to say. He snapped to his feet and quickly erased the distance between the two of them, his fist flying through the air. Neji however easily anticipated this reaction, and instantly displayed his own power in return. His pupilless eyes shone in a radiant light, casting upon Naruto's fiercely. "Uzume!" he called, triggering an even greater shine that reflected across the fallen metal weapons all around. His paralysis Jutsu was perfect; anyone who looked into his eyes would find movement-

WHAM!

Even after the fist hit Neji's face, he hadn't quite comprehended what had happened. Lifted from his feet, he was thrown back many metres and sent sprawling amongst the corpses he himself had helped create. If not for the darkness of the Akatsuki cloak, the blood and dirt that now stained his clothes could have been mistaken for his own. But as it was, all he had to show for it was the faint red trail coming from his lip and nose. It seemed that while somehow his Jutsu had failed, it had at least knocked Naruto's trajectory out of place.

"_Impossible!"_ Neji thought, as he wiped away the blood with his sleeve. Naruto stood from afar, still blinking the daze from his eyes, yet giving Neji a look of hateful superiority, a look he hadn't experienced in a _long _long time. He himself had been disoriented by the sudden impact, making his ascent back to his feet a little shaky. There was no way he could smirk even in this situation; he was too taken aback by what had just happened. _"The Uzume doesn't paralyse the physical body, it goes straight for the cerebellum! No amount of physical or mental training should be able to stop it!"_

Naruto vaguely understood what was going through Neji's mind; he had already known the Hyuuga would try that paralysis technique, and already knew that it wouldn't work. "You're technique fucks up the opponent's mental energy, making them unable to control their body, right?" he asked, without the slightest intention of awaiting an answer. "Last time we fought I let the Kyuubi take the wheel, which _really_ messed with my head. But like this, it ain't gonna happen!"

In spite of his efforts to appear intimidating, only the words Naruto spoke got through to Neji's head. The Uzume previously had been infallible, all past experiments proving successful. _"Even Orochimaru succumbed to it, this person couldn't possibly have greater mental power than him!" _he reasoned, his eyes narrowing in a scrutinising manner. Naruto had been only partially right; it _was_ possible that Neji had misjudged the amount of force he would have needed to put in based on last time, but it had nothing to do with Naruto himself. _"It has to be those eyes! The Nehangan… why do I know of it?"_

In the hope to further learn anything he could, Neji awaited what more Naruto had to say. But the swordsman hesitated for a moment, his own thoughts conflicting with themselves. In the end he looked aside, a frustrated appearance in his yellow eyes. "Why the hell would Pein let someone like _you_ in?" he thought aloud, gritting his teeth at the very idea. But then he sharply returned his attention to Neji, and even more dangerous look upon him. "Moreover, what the hell do you want with a group like Akatsuki?"

His agitation was clear, as well as his confusion. This time it was Neji's turn to be lost in thought, even realising that he knew something Naruto didn't not being enough to return his egotism. "Pein… I wonder…" he said, in a low voice that was just enough for his enemy to detect. Naruto watched Neji with clear disdain, a hatred that in the Hyuuga's perspective had still not been rightfully earned. But with this knowledge he managed the faintest of smirks, before suggesting something he knew would confuse this person. "Do you mean the person behind Madara's mask?"

There had been no mistake; Naruto was most certainly perplexed by that statement. This was enough to gratify Neji just a little, but not enough to completely satisfy him. He doubted he stood to gain anything in that area at this moment in time, and so decided it was best to draw things to an end. "Sakon, Kidomaru, we're leaving!" he called out, looking over to the barely standing walls of the base. Atop the spiked posts appeared the two called upon ninja, awaiting their superior to come to them. But before he left he had one last thing to say to Naruto. "A friendly word of warning; those eyes of yours shouldn't exist. My own eyes can see that they were not granted to you by normal means. Someone put them in there, and that someone's presence still exists."

Naruto didn't meet Neji's eyes, nor offer any signs of acknowledgement to what he had said. But as the Hyuuga turned to run to his subordinates, he found that he did have one reply to offer. "I ain't gonna be indebted to someone like you." he said, causing Neji to hesitate for a moment. Though he turned away from the Hyuuga, he wasn't quite done with him yet. "You think I got a presence inside me? No shit. But so do you. And it looks like they're making a move on you."

Unlike Neji, Naruto didn't give time to respond. Not wanting to stay here any longer, he ran off without a further word. Neji however stayed at that same place with a stunned expression as a realisation hit him. The tomoe on his forehead felt oddly constricting, as if it was tightening on his skull. But that was a presence he had long since accepted. The other was one he was less familiar with, yet could sense all the same. _"What is it that's inside me?"_

* * *

Three days past since that time, three days past the end of Yoinokuchi's mission. Tensions had risen from each of the three involved villages, all of whom were in shambles, to the point where all of them were on a hair trigger of paranoia. In this state of panic, Konohagakure had been left with no choice but to put a stop to this. These actions were aided by Iwa in a less friendly manner, and Suna went as far as to set up an outpost on its border with Ame. With these three villages making a move like this, there was the ever present risk of something dangerous happening. In any sense the mission was a success, if not perhaps _too_ efficient.

So on this final day, with the sun burning brightly on the horizon, Naruto stood atop some heaped rocks. The wind blew in his face, carrying with it the faintest smell of smoke. There was a conflict going on in a village just a mile ahead, one that was not going in favour of whoever inhabited that place. It was a dreadful sight, but not one he had been unprepared for. This was the way things had to be, the whole reason he was still alive. He was the harbinger of war, a fate he had accepted years ago.

This was the solid truth of the Jinchuuriki. Akatsuki had no intention of simply letting them be; that group had their own desires after all. A long time past Naruto had been tasked with assembling the Jinchuuriki for the sole purpose of showing the world what true pain really felt like. It was a war of the largest scale, one unprecedented even by the previous ones. So in comparison to a massive goal like that, what Naruto had helped start was merely a skirmish.

Behind him he heard the sound of an approaching person, light footsteps across the moist grass. With a faint glance over his shoulder, he just managed to comprehend the newcomer as Yagura. Naruto turned his head back to the war stricken village so not to let Yagura read his expression. He still didn't know the truth of Yoinokuchi, but Naruto could tell Yagura was beginning to realise. "This is where it all starts." he said, spreading his eyes across the blood soaked horizon. "We'll make our place on what's left of the old world."

It was almost a given that Yagura would have something to say to this, since he was never the sort to go with his opinion unspoken. But on this occasion he was oddly silent, perhaps still thinking about what was really going on. "… I'm going to ask you this only once." he said, his dangerous tone not what Naruto had expected. Casting his eyes back over his shoulder, he noticed half of Yagura's face to be hidden in shadow. An ominous aura was rising from him, one that truly belonged to someone like the Yondaime Mizukage. "Who is Uchiha Madara to you?"

Naruto's brow screwed up for a moment as he tried to work out who Yagura was referring to. With the faintest recollection he retrieved the familiar name from his memory, realising the last time he had heard it was from Neji. Turning around he hopped down to Yagura's level, letting the shorter boy see his dead serious expression. "I don't know anyone by that name." he said honestly, though doubted that Yagura believed him. "But I heard it recently. Who is he?"

"He is the person who created Akatsuki."

Both Naruto and Yagura turned their heads as their third comrade made his appearance. Gaara approached them with his arms crossed over, lacking the slightest look of greeting as he immediately comprehended the situation. "Though officially Pein was the leader, it was Uchiha Madara who was giving him orders." he explained, ignoring Yagura's look of distrust and Naruto's confusion. He came to a stop near the two of them, going on without invitation. "Five years ago he was killed by Pein. However Pein made the mistake of taking Madara's eye, which by some method contained a piece of its owner. That eye has now taken control of Pein, and the rest of Akatsuki."

The looks of disbelief he was given was not unexpected. It was unclear how much of what he had said was understood by Yagura, who apparently knew a thing or two of Uchiha Madara. But Naruto's reaction was beyond that. More than disbelief, it looked like he was _refusing _to believe it. "What the hell are you saying?" he demanded, his voice surprisingly quiet compared to his tone. He vigilantly shook his head, before taking a pronounced step forward and locking eyes with Gaara. "There's no way Pein is under someone else's control, he's way too strong for that!"

"It was he who told me that this might happen." Gaara replied, without a second of hesitation. He knew that he would need further proof to this point, but unfortunately he didn't have the scroll from Pein in his possession right now. All he had to offer was his words, for at the moment he was not prepared to show them the contents of the other scroll he had been given. "He tasked me with the mission of finding a way to put a stop to Madara if it ever happened. This wasn't to be known by you Naruto, but from what I understand you _do_ know something of it."

For a moment Naruto was forced to look at Gaara again, his own shock stripped from him as he was informed of something impossible. Searching his friend's face offered him with no answer, and so he turned away to stare at the rock. Fixing his eyes upon it, he tried desperately to see if there was any reason to believe Gaara's words, yet all his efforts came up with nothing. He was almost ready to call Gaara's bluff, when all of a sudden he was struck with a thought so powerful, he hadn't known he had frozen to the spot.

A huge man, with an impossibly thick neck, and a face filled with large piercings. His head was completely hairless, with spikes protruding from his skull, a ring over his nose, a couple of studs on each cheek and a large one on his chin. Beneath the slashed Ame headband lay something that Naruto just barely remembered. That person's left eye had been as grey as the rainy sky, and rippled like a disturbed pond. But his other eye was covered with an eye patch. Slowly though, that eye patch was raised by this person's hand, revealing an eye unlike the other. Naruto almost choked.

From behind him, Gaara and Yagura were silent. Both could sense what Naruto was feeling, or at least the intensity of it. The latter however could not stay quiet for long, as he was far from satisfied with this explanation alone. "What is going on, really?" he asked, mimicking Gaara's folded arms and looking straight at the sand wielder. "It sounds like you've known about this for a while, so what exactly is the situation?"

Gaara didn't answer right away, for Naruto's sake. He stayed that way for several long moments, before deciding that he could spare his friend's feelings no longer. With his eyes still on the distraught ninja, he gave his answer. "Madara has taken full control over Akatsuki, and with it has changed it into something else." he said, knowing that Naruto was listening to everything that he said. "He doesn't seek to ally with the Jinchuuriki. He is the one responsible for the disappearance of the Hachibi. He probably intends on targeting us soon too."

Both the more stoic Shinobi twitched, as Naruto suddenly straightened up. The blond boy turned around to face the two of them, but his eyes were hidden behind his hair. He took several slow steps forward, coming between Gaara and Yagura, before coming to a hesitant stop. "I'm going to get him out of this." he said, in a low voice that the other two just barely heard. "This Madara guy is going to die, but I _will_ save Pein."

With that he began to walk, making his slow trek back to the land of fire. Both Gaara and Yagura watched him as he walked away, still caught speechless by how their leader was taking this. With a quick glance to each other they confirmed their own feelings. Gaara had always intended to take care of Madara, while Yagura dearly desired it. If Naruto wanted to do so too, but not to kill Pein, they would stand behind him as long as they could. It would be up to him to come up with an answer, because neither of them had the slightest idea. With this silent understanding, they followed Naruto to what would be the most unclear future they had ever had.


	20. The darkest intentions bloom the most

I would have had this out earlier, but I started writing something past what I needed, only to realise that in doing so all that I was creating was OCs you had no reason to care about. So I got rid of them and left it at the 5100 mark. Also, from the responses I've gathered I've decided to upload the lemon I've written. Just to clarify, it was training for dealing with emotional situations, not training for lemons themselves. Anyway I'll get it up and those of you who are interested can let me know what you think.

* * *

**The darkest intentions bloom the most beautiful**

Seiryuutoshi really was one of Ta no Kuni's most illustrious villages. A place built around a mystical river said to cleanse all impurities, and with it a respectfully clean place. The clear sky lit up the pale buildings, many of which were made out of white stone, and all of which were made on level terrain. At the places where there were no homes or workplaces, pristine gardens filled with striking trees and transparent were given room to grow. This place, that held not even the slightest hint of a slum, was almost like a paradise. This was the place that would become a new hidden village, one that would be protected by the might of many powerful ninja.

It was the Oto nin who first gathered here, though by now that wasn't really an appropriate thing to call them. They had been quickly followed by Utakata and Han, both of whom had quickly set to work at crafting this wondrous little town into the focus of Ta no Kuni's military might. It wasn't an easy task, but those two were _very_ good at their jobs. They had already picked out the best building to be used as to focal point to all their business, the place that had formerly been used as the trade centre for the town. Arrangements had already been made to compensate for what would have been lost by this slight takeover, at the cost of just a little revenue.

Fuu, Sakura, Hinata and the Hizuma nin had been the next to come forward. It had taken a week, but finally the uses of the temple had come to a close. Naturally the uses of Sakura and Hinata had been brought into question by the move. In the end it had been decided that Naruto would be the one to figure out just what happened with them. For now the two of them were being kept as out of the loop as possible; they hadn't even been allowed to know the location of this village, nor to explore it. Though that had incurred some resistance, even those two understood the situation.

And now, with two weeks gone by, the final three of the group that now led this town approached it. Through the wooden gates along the white wall that surrounded the village, Naruto, Gaara and Yagura walked. They saw the place that was to be their final home with silent wonder, gazing at the ascending town and the mountain range far behind it. None of them were able to deny the beauty of this place, and thankfully the time since their last talk about Akatsuki had allowed them to move on a little. Even Naruto was able to look across this place, and let a small smile appear on his lips.

They passed through the first street that opened out into the rest of the town. Here there were a few attractive shops to draw the eyes of visitors, and cafes to draw their presence. Eyes fell upon these strange looking three, though with the amount of odd people who had already graced this town's steps it was hardly looks of surprise they were given. "Are you sure these people would be willing to accept us?" Yagura asked, as he was met with faces he was unfamiliar with. He knew personally that Oto nin were nasty pieces of work, and worried that they might have done something to mark the image Yoinokuchi wanted to get across.

On Naruto's other side, Gaara shared the glance that Yagura gave with a similar expression. Out of each of them he was the one least trusting of the faces of common folk, knowing their tendency to fall to the dangers of group consensus. "Whether they accept us or not is completely meaningless." he replied, setting his sights on the nearing end of the street up ahead. "It is our duty to protect them from harm, and give them a feeling of security. They would have to be more than a little foolish if that goes against what they want."

They left the short street and began to traverse a bridge that arced over the mystical river. The sounds of the water flowing was more soothing than they had imagined, and the purity was so much so that even the bottom could be seen in explicit detail. "Would you take a look at this place, who wouldn't want it protected?" Naruto asked, coming to a stop in the dead middle of the bridge. There he slipped his hands behind his head and turned around, looking at the way they had just come. "My guess is the only problem they would have is that a military presence might harm the peace of this town. And after where we're coming from, who can blame them?"

With neither Gaara nor Yagura able to come up with a counter argument, Naruto turned back around and resumed walking along. The three of them crossed the bridge and passed under a pair of trees with very broad branches, their tiny leaves forming an arch overhead. It was here that Naruto had his first curiosity, along the lines of just what they would have to start with. While developing this place was important, when compared to the situation with Akatsuki he knew there was no delusion about which he would prioritise. _"Maybe that's why it's best to leave building the place to Han." _he thought, before blinking in surprise.

Not far ahead, from one of the shops on the next street, appeared someone Naruto recognised. It was not a person whose name he had ever learned, but someone he had seen from time to time back at the temple. It was one of the Hizuma nin, an elder boy with the characteristic messy brown hair tied back in a scruffy ponytail. But to Naruto's surprise this person was not dressed in the tunic that clan was almost notorious for wearing. Instead he was dressed in dark brown slacks and a matching fleece, with a stone grey flak vest bearing both shoulder and neck guards. This person came to a stop as the three Jinchuuriki did, staring at them with growing recognition.

"Ah, Naruto-sama, Yagura-sama, Gaara-sama!" he suddenly exclaimed, taking a step back that hastily turned into a respectful kneel. His sudden pronouncement drew the attention of the people in the street ahead, and solidified it with his own position. However he seemed to be completely oblivious to their attentions, rising only when Naruto embarrassedly asked him to. "Utakata-sama asked us to prepare for your arrival! Would you like me to lead you to the main office?"

With all the dropping of respect filled names, there seemed to be a bit of a gathering in the street ahead. From what Naruto could judge from the looks people were passing, this Hizuma nin had made his presence known to the locals. That only seemed to add to the awkward sense that Naruto was currently experiencing. "Uh, sure, that'd be great." he replied, with a hand to the back of his head. Even with the way things were back at the temple, this kind of treatment was past his expectations. Maybe it had to do with the new environment, or maybe it was just this person in particular. "Can you take us straight there… uh…?"

"Haruto, Hizuma Haruto." the boy replied, with a very unnecessary salute. Immediately he whipped around and began the walk to the main office, taking a brisk pace with his arms swinging at either side. Naruto had to exchange a look with Yagura to confirm that this way of acting was kind of over the top. However for the former Mizukage, it seemed he was actually used to this kind of thing. "Han-sama has already made preparations for certain structures to be built. I believe some of the first he intends to create are escape routes and a treasury."

The three Jinchuuriki listened to Hizuma Haruto's uncomfortable statements; clear signs that they made him feel rather nervous. By the sound of things Han had been rather busy, a point that annoyed Naruto just a little. He knew that he had tasked Han with this, but did he have to make it seem that _he_ was the one calling the shots? _"Don't get so worked up, it's not that big a deal."_ his more reasonable side, Eko's side, told him. _"I got bigger things to worry about right now… like what the hell I'm supposed to do about Pein."_

"-Utakata-sama has already established himself with the people of the village, but they are waiting to hear from the person in charge so they can-"

Naruto vaguely listened to what Haruto was saying, but his mind was still on that important point. From what he understood of what Gaara had said, the idea that Pein being taken over by some other person seemed plausible. But Naruto knew he couldn't accept it from what he had heard alone. He wanted to find out for himself, or rather, find out that Gaara had had it wrong. It sounded childish for him to still be clinging to such notions, but that was just the way it was. Pein had given him everything he had, wasn't it natural that he believed in that person?

He let out a sigh of exhaustion; he really needed to take a break from thinking about this. No matter how he tried to figure it out, he couldn't possibly come up with a solution to this. So to drive his thoughts away from this, he opened himself both to the village around him and to what their guide was saying. "The ninja who formerly belonged to Otogakure have dropped their titles." Haruto said, as he gestured to a pair of said nin relaxing on a bench situated on a small patch of grass. With the trees hanging over them, they seemed much more relaxed than they had in the slums of what they used to go by in. "Although there has been a lot of speculation about what's going to happen for them. I think they are worried that they are just going to be treated as fodder again."

That was a pretty funny notion, considering how peaceful those two Shinobi looked. Then again, Naruto hadn't encountered a single on of those ninja who would let their guard down even amongst their comrades. But as they passed by, and the looks on those two ninja changed, he understood that they were in truth bothered about something. _"Man… I didn't think about that."_ he admitted to himself. They left the two ninja behind and ascended a staircase leading to a higher level, but still he could feel their attentions on him. _"It's not just the villagers I have to keep happy, but the ninja too."_

The rest of the walk went on much the same, with Haruto filling his three superiors in as he saw fit. By the time they reached the place dubbed "the main office", each of them had been thoroughly brought up to date on the situation. "This is where Utakata-sama and Han-sama have been working." Haruto said, as they came to stop in front of the arch of a wall that spread all around their destination. Once more he did something unnecessary, by giving a deep bow that had his back almost parallel to the ground. "I'm sure you have many important things to discuss, so I'll leave you be."

Naruto, who had little idea of proper etiquette, could only mumble a word of thanks as Haruto walked by them. For a moment even Gaara looked after that overly polite person, but soon they left it be. Stepping under the arch they found themselves in a small square with buildings lined up on all sides. Marble columns held up white stone buildings, small trees and shrubs adding some colour to this otherwise snow like place. They walked over the stone paving towards what appeared to be the main part of this place; a structure with a semicircular roof that reached a level higher than any of the others. There in sight was a balcony, a place that overlooked the entire town. As Naruto, Gaara and Yagura watched this place, someone appeared from inside.

"So you finally made it." Utakata said, leaning against the wooden railing with a crooked grin. For such a familiar face to show up in such an unfamiliar place left the three newcomers a little disarrayed, even Gaara took a moment to collect himself. The bubble nin looked out across the town, admiring the view of the place that was now theirs, before lowering his gaze back to his comrades. "So what do you think of the place?"

Naruto and the other two were quite unprepared to offer an answer at this time, for they were still taking this grand place in. Fortunately they were saved the effort by another well known person who just couldn't restrain herself any further. "Welcome back Yagura-kun!" Fuu called out, as she vaulted out from one of the windows and ran over to her favourite person. There she decided to go all out, by suddenly grabbing on to Yagura's arm and hugging it tight. "How was your mission?"

In that moment Fuu demonstrated her impeccable skill for sending the mood in a completely different direction. The wonder the three wayfaring nin had first obtained on their arrival was replaced by memories of the time past. Yagura was the first to demonstrate this, by removing Fuu's grip on his arm. "Call everyone together." he said, looking up to Utakata to make sure his friend heard him well. "We've got an important matter to discuss."

Where Fuu had started the change of mood with her poor mood reading skill, Yagura's tone had successfully finished the job. The slanted smile Utakata wore slid from his face, and he gave a slight nod before backing into the room again. Naruto, Gaara and Yagura made their way across the square, with Fuu close behind. They entered into the building itself via a pair of oak doors and found a staircase that took them up to the next level. From there it wasn't hard to find the place Utakata had disappeared to, but there was one interruption to deal with first.

"Um… is something going on?"

The four Jinchuuriki came to a stop as they spotted someone who was rather dangerous in a sense. Hyuuga Hinata had appeared from the room they were about to enter, wearing a curious expression that she sent to all of them. Naturally Naruto was still oblivious as to her and Sakura's situation, and likewise her role was quite unclear. But before Naruto could say something unnecessary, Gaara whispered into his ear and gave him advice that was very well timed. "I'll need to speak with you and Sakura-chan later." Naruto said, looking Hinata straight in the eye. "Can you make yourselves available tonight?"

Clearly confused by the seriousness in Naruto's tone, and the looks on the other Jinchuuriki's faces, Hinata took a moment to respond. Even she could see something sensitive was happening, and that this request was most probably just to get her out of the way for now. But of course she wasn't in any position to refuse. "I… ok." she mumbled in reply, fiddling her hands together uncomfortably. She hesitated for a moment, but then moved past the group, making for the stairs. "I'll tell Sakura-chan."

Naruto gave his nod of thanks, but soon forgot about Hinata entirely. Without so much as a knock or announcement he walked into the room, glad to see that everyone was already assembled. In this rich room, with leather sofas and a broad mahogany desk, both Utakata and Han were already awaiting them with expectant expressions. Han was lacking his armour, and was leaning against the desk while Utakata reclined into one of the sofas. Everyone else came in and found a seat, with Naruto being the only one to remain standing.

All was silent for quite a while, and with it raised an uncomfortable tension. Naruto turned and closed the door, taking the time to collect his thoughts. Gaara and Yagura had both removed their awkward tools and nestled them on the floor in front of them, awaiting the meeting to officially start. _"They're waiting for me huh?"_ Naruto asked himself, once again wondering if this level of leader respect was sarcastic in a way. Nonetheless he took on his role as was needed, leaning against the wall by the door and drawing everyone's eyes. "We think Akatsuki have become our enemies."

The dead tone tolled throughout the room as the three people who were just learning this became as stiff as stone. At first the silence had been wary, but now it was of a powerful tension that seemed to hold everyone in their place. The members of Yoinokuchi were as alive as the contents of the bookcases to either side of Naruto's stressed form. All of them knew the truth that Akatsuki sought to gather the Jinchuuriki, and recently had come to learn that the reason was for creating and maintaining wars. There was no denying the strength of that group, as even over here word of the war to the west was a well known topic of discussion. Few people here doubted the start of the next world war, even without knowing that there was a group working towards that very end.

The group reaction was much anticipated by the three who were already settled into this idea. They allowed the others a few moments to take this in, since there wasn't a person here who wasn't personally indebted to Akatsuki. It had been Zetsu who had saved Naruto from his life in Konoha, and Pein who had helped convince Gaara to leave Suna. If not for Kisame Naruto and Gaara would have never been able to get inside Kiri in the first place for Yagura and Utakata. Fuu's liberation was owed by Kakuzu and Hidan offering distraction, and without Deidara Han would never have been reunited with his daughter. So naturally, this news was most unsettling.

The first of the stunned three to finally move again was Fuu, since she knew little about Akatsuki in the first place. She looked around the others and sensed the rough feelings they all shared, knowing that they were thinking thoughts that would probably put her into despair. "I don't understand, why is Akatsuki our enemy?" she asked, unsure of whom to look at for answers. The only members of Akatsuki she had ever met face to face were Zetsu and Deidara, neither of whom had anything much to do with her. "Have they changed their mind about what they want to do or something?"

For a while it seemed that no one was going to answer her, or maybe that no one _had_ an answer to give her. Gaara didn't like speaking when someone else could say the same, and Naruto didn't appear to want to give an answer. Therefore it was left to Yagura, who in truth had less than no stipulations about taking the role of the person to break the bad news. "Akatsuki has been taken over by Uchiha Madara." he said, his eyes flicking up to meet Utakata's. "And it looks like Madara has other plans for what he wants to do with us."

Utakata's gaze was fixed upon Yagura with an even worse look than he had possessed just moments before. He seemed somewhere between livid and horrified, his eyes wide and his pupils shrunken to a point. "The Sandaime!" he croaked, his voice barely a whisper. Both Han and Fuu whipped their heads towards the almost soundless boy at his revelation, while everyone else already knew of this. Uchiha Madara was the person who had been Mizukage previous to Yagura, and according to that very person was the man responsible for Yagura becoming Mizukage in the first place. "He's _alive?_"

The former Yondaime's head bobbed up and down in reply, knowing that of all people Utakata would at least understand his feelings. With his hands cupped together and his attention to the floor, the rebellious manner this person often showed was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he looked much more distant. "The one who put the Genjutsu that made me into the Mizukage of Chigiri no Sato, is now the one in control of the most dangerous group around."

The other three watched Yagura with prying eyes, silently wishing him to say more on this point. Not even Utakata knew of the circumstances behind Yagura becoming Mizukage; he had only been young at the time his "niisan" had been given that position. But it seemed Yagura himself was deep in thought on these matters as well, for he said nothing more. Soon the attentions shifted, but little else changed.

Naruto crossed his arms and furrowed his brow, giving a very obvious display that he was deep in thought. There were few who acknowledged this look, understandably so, but none that could ignore him when he next spoke. "I'm gonna go to Ame." he quietly announced, immediately focusing himself as the centre of attention. Almost all of them wore unreadable expressions, with Fuu as the exception due to her incapability of doing so. "I'll confront Pein and find out the truth. If it's as it looks, then I'll-"

"You're not going."

Naruto sharply lifted his head, as did the others in the room. With remarkable speed and finesse, Gaara had taken a standing position in the middle of the room, his cold eyes locked onto Naruto's. The four Jinchuuriki watched as before their very eyes, Naruto and Gaara seemed to have their first conflict in front of them. "You have your responsibilities both to this group and this village." the sand wielder said, his tone not the kind one used with a friend. This was much more serious, and much, _much_ colder. "And besides, this is my mission. It has nothing to do with you."

The look of surprise on Naruto's face soon turned into an incredulous glare. Outraged by having such a thing said to him, he straightened up and let his arms fall to his sides, his hands bunched up into tight fists. "What the hell do you mean it has nothing to do with me!" he demanded, his tone at a volume that showed he didn't care _who_ could hear him right now. And that was the truth; he _didn't_ care. All he could think of was how Gaara could even _think_ this situation was outside his right to get involved. "It's got a _hell_ of a lot more to do with me than it does anyone else here! Why shouldn't I do something about it? And why the hell did Pein give _you _the mission anyway?"

"Because he knew that if he gave it to you that you would do something idiotic like confront Madara in person!" Gaara replied, his voice rising only a little in volume, but a mile in anger. Fuu flinched from the danger in his tone, and Utakata winced a little. Yagura and Han both watched him from the corners of their eyes, sensing a lethal aura that only appeared before blood was spilled. Gaara wasn't the sort to take things lying down. "If it's raw power he needs then he has an entire organisation consisting of Shinobi like that! What he needed wasn't someone to fight a battle he couldn't win, but someone to prepare for the worst case scenario!"

Naruto met Gaara's furious gaze without the slightest sign of intimidation, instead sending his own look of unfiltered rage. From the spectator's perspective there was a great risk that their newly acquired village was about to meet its first major conflict straight from inside its own home. That was part of the reason why Yagura put a stop to this, but not the only one. "Gaara is right." he said, looking Naruto in the eye. The gesture wasn't returned, but he could tell his words were being heard. "Madara can't be beaten with brute strength alone. I should know, since I tried with all my might. I can safely say that as you are right now, there's nothing you can do to stop him."

"Bullshit." Naruto snapped, giving Yagura the same look he was giving Gaara. The feelings behind those eyes radiated throughout the room, his yellow irises turning a shade of orange that suggested he was on the brink of really losing it. Even his breathing was becoming heavy, had he really so little emotional control that he couldn't handle something like this? "If it's more power I need, I got a whole fucking ocean of it."

In an instant everyone was on their feet, staring at Naruto as if he had suddenly caught fire. Even the ever cool Han was giving him a look as if he had just said the most inconsiderate thing humanly possible to say. But out of the lot of them it was Utakata who was responded first, his general understanding of people torn apart by Naruto's statement. "You're not seriously thinking of using the Kyuubi?" he asked, drawing the momentary attention of Naruto as the said person looked everyone in the eye. "There's no way you can control that; the whole reason we haven't already tried is because it's too dangerous!"

Naruto let out a sharp exhale of annoyance, but couldn't deny he was taken aback by everyone suddenly ganging up on him. He compensated for his mixed feelings by stopping and taking a breath, hoping that in doing so it would at least calm everyone down. But his stance didn't change in the slightest, nor did his feelings. "If Akatsuki really is gonna start coming after us, we can't afford to hold back." he explained. If they weren't happy with what he said, all he could do was rephrase. "All I'm saying is that if this Madara guy is as dangerous as you say, then we can't afford to be afraid of the Bijuu. They want the demons as weapons; we'll use them as shields."

His sudden change of perspective and mood forced the others to collect themselves, though none were quite comfortable with what he was saying. He understood this; they were still coming to terms with the idea of Akatsuki being enemies after all. "Taking control of your Bijuu is no easy task." Yagura said, glancing to Gaara for a nod of confirmation that he received without trouble. "Right now the only ones here who can do that are myself and Gaara, but those are for special reasons. The Sanbi is a coward who will do anything to survive and the Ichibi couldn't corrupt Gaara any more than it already had. But we can't say the same for the others, which is why we can't do this foolishly."

Fuu looked between her fellow Jinchuuriki, taking what Yagura said into account. From the looks of things, judging by what she heard, the numerically smallest Bijuu was Han's Gobi, making him the easiest one to deal with at the moment. But even that was a hop past the skip of the Yonbi, and probably more complicated than Yagura's. The fact that she had the Nanabi made her feel even less at ease, since hers was third from most powerful. "Hey… what would happen if we lost control?" she asked, suddenly worried about the Bijuu locked inside of her.

"If that happens then you better hope you're nowhere near anyone important to you." Yagura said, without looking at Fuu. It seemed he was turning his answer to her into a point to press against Naruto, who as he already knew had been willing to let the Kyuubi grab the reigns a little in the past. "Because the Bijuu don't care _what_ they destroy. They'll strip away everything that makes you you and craft you into the puppet they need so they can regain their freedom. That's _all _that matters to those things, no matter who tells you."

"And what the FUCK are we supposed to do if Kumo comes for us?" Naruto demanded, losing the rag once more and throwing his arm to the side. He wasn't going to let up on this. If he was the only one on his side, then he was gonna fight just as hard as the others combined. If that meant he had to stay on the aggressive, then so be it. "We got a hidden village that's starting from scratch, with no ties to anyone else, and a to do list the size of the fucking moon! All we need is for one of those big bastards to come down here, put a leash around our necks and make sic whoever the fuck they want us to sic. You wanna let that happen just 'cos the alternative is dangerous?"

From the look on his face, he was almost pleading for an answer of some sort. He couldn't understand why the others were so resistant to this, were they really _that_ scared of the Bijuu? No matter whom he turned his eyes to, all he received were defiant or averted looks in return. Deciding he could stand it no more, he whipped around and opened the door. "I'm going training." he said, without giving anyone the opportunity to stop him.

When he was gone, and everyone was left staring at the door, the tension finally receded. No one was sure just what to do with themselves, leaving many of them either looking off into space or at each other. It was ironic in a way that the person who broke this silence was the very person who often maintained it. "Naruto-san has the wrong idea as to what power truly is." spoke Han, after pulling his mask down past his chin. With his manner of never saying anything removed at that time, he had everyone's attention, including Gaara's. That was fortunate, since it was that very person whom Han seemed to be speaking to at the moment. "If his desire for strength in any way overcomes the fragile line of what is right and what is wrong in this world and affects the truth around him, then that strength will inevitably become the curse that brings us all down with indiscriminating feelings. If he is truly allowed to think like this, then I pray for mercy for us all."

The other Jinchuuriki stared as Han pulled his mask back over his lips, finishing his short but meaningful speech with the grandeur of someone who didn't care if his words were heard or not. A few seconds passed, and the others began to look at each other and more notably Gaara. That person still had his eyes fixed on Han, as he was forced to acknowledge something that in truth he really felt no desire to. Looking away from the eldest Jinchuuriki, he only had one thing to say. "You talk too much."


	21. As mindless as the beast that reigns

Woo for morning release! Well technically it's the afternoon by now, but it's not like too many of you are gonna find this as soon as it's posted anyway. That last manga chapter inspired me, so now I think I know where to go next. I know a lot of you will probably be confused by some of the stuff in this chapter (I had to get pretty obscure to keep with the theme I was going with there), but then I've got a knack for doing confusing things eh?

Disclaimer: Seriously thought, last chapter was SO badass!

* * *

**As mindless as the beast that reigns within**

Naruto had gone a long way for the sake of cooling off, longer than most people needed anyway. He had left Seiryuutoshi in the foulest mood he had been in for a long time, and had walked as far as the mountain range a mile away from that place. It was here that he had remained for the past couple of hours, training vigorously to blow off the great deal of steam that had gathered inside him. From the release of that steam, the once peaceful environment had changed very much.

The azure sky set across the emerald trees, tall jack pines that had never once lost their colour even in the harshness of winter. The grass had long since disappeared, replaced with fragments of bark from trees that had fallen an immeasurably long time ago. The ever present scent the needle like leaves exuded was refreshing in a way, but tended to linger unpleasantly. The sound of the wind drifting along the many trunks was like a sleuth of bears were rolling lazily down the hills.

This was the scene, until one reached the place Naruto used for his training. Here a great many of those trees had fallen to the ground, and most certainly not by natural means. Splinters the size of human arms were scattered everywhere, like magnifications of the scraps of wood already on the forest floor. Pine needles continued to fall from above, the wind blowing them from the still standing trees they had fallen upon. In amidst this wreckage of peace, Naruto stood with his left arm held wide.

He looked over to his arm, watching as the last signs of chakra faded away from it. The wind around his hand calmed and stilled, until all that was left was his bandaged sleeve. He watched his arm for a good few moments, before looking away and allowing it to drop by his side. _"I finally complete that Jutsu, and I don't even feel that proud."_ he thought to himself, as he moved over to the trunk of a tree that still stood. There he sat himself down, resting his back against the bark as he looked over to the town a good distance away. A faint smile curled onto his lips, but not one of contentedness or joy. _"So Gaara's got control of the Ichibi huh? You ask me, that's way more dangerous than the Kyuubi."_

A faint chuckle slipped past his lips, one hinted with just a little bitterness. Even now he still stood by what he said, that if they didn't learn to control the Bijuu that they would be wasting power the five great villages would not. Though he was pretty sure there were very few ninja he couldn't at least match, he didn't want to take the chance of ignorance just for the sake of a moment of tranquillity. _"I'm willing to go through hell to do this… but they aren't."_

He stopped himself at that realisation, the small smile he had disappearing. The other Jinchuuriki had fought tooth and nail for a multitude of things, one of which was to rescue Naruto himself from being imprisoned in Konoha. He wasn't so simple that he would deny the lengths they would go for each other, but now that he gave it thought, he wondered if perhaps that was the furthest extent they were willing to go.

That was a side effect of them never having met Pein, perhaps. Even to this day Naruto still held strong all the times he had spoken to Pein, and even now he believed in that person. But the others never got to learn what he knew, so was it natural they had become small minded? Maybe that was Naruto's fault, caused by his not being straight with the others from the start. But there was no use thinking about that now. He needed to work with his mistakes, and turn it into something right.

He gave it some thought, as he sat there by that tree. What was the answer to the question of how to get the Jinchuuriki to follow the path he himself was walking? Did he have to demonstrate what Pein sought and how it would bring a better way? Or maybe he just needed to show them that they could put their faith in him, while he continued to put his faith in Pein. If that was the case… then he knew just what it was that he needed to do. He closed his eyes, closed his mind, and closed his heart. It was time to pay a visit to someone he hadn't seen since he was first imprisoned in Konoha.

* * *

The sounds of the woods had disappeared, replaced with a distant chorus of slow exhales passing through a long echo. There was no smell in this place, nor any air to taste. All that existed was sight, sound and touch. Maybe because of the lack of other senses, those three seemed all the more powerful. The pitch blackness was still intangible, the noises holding course. And the water spreading around Naruto's feet felt just as warm as ever.

And then there was _that_. The immense gate that reached higher than Naruto could see, unreasonably tall bars that had to have been fitted by inhuman means, with the only decoration of a large sheet of paper that bore a seal Naruto couldn't hope to understand. It was these bars that he slowly walked towards, listening carefully for the slightest sound of movement from the resident of this abysmal place.

The beast behind the bars let out an exhale, stirring from the deep slumber in which it had spent a great deal of time. Even without seeing it, Naruto could feel the demon lifting its head, searching through the dark for the person who had disturbed it. It didn't take long to find the reason, and soon ducked its head in for a closer look. There the weak light cast upon its visage, and the Kyuubi no Yoko made its appearance.

"I don't sense any killing intent from your body." the giant fox spoke, its crimson eyes fixed upon Naruto with an almost glassy look to them. That appearance was soon to disappear, as its eyes sharpened considerably. Naruto was taken aback as the Kyuubi suddenly ducked its head, shifting rapidly as its black nose pressed against the bars. It sniffed so hard that Naruto could feel the pull, almost drawing him closer to the clutches of the demon fox. "Who is there… is that?"

Naruto blinked in surprise, hearing something he hadn't been expecting. The Kyuubi was looking at him as if he was seeing someone else, or perhaps recognising something in Naruto he had never seen before. The Kyuubi did not finish its search fast, and in fact seemed to be growing more and more agitated the longer it looked. Naruto was still trying to work out just what it was that was catching the beast's attention, when he recalled something he had been told not so long ago.

_"A friendly word of warning; those eyes of yours shouldn't exist. My own eyes can see that they were not granted to you by normal means. Someone put them in there, and that someone's presence still exists."_

"What is it, what do you see?" Naruto demanded, taking a step forward to make it easier for the Kyuubi to examine. At first he had thought little to Neji's words, but the fact that these eyes of his were a mystery still bothered him. And if that presence the Hyuuga bastard spoke of was also getting noticed by this monster, then there was no way he could ignore it. If the Kyuubi had an answer to this, then Naruto had to find it.

The nine tailed beast seemed almost not to hear what Naruto was saying, its search was for its own purpose and didn't have the slightest interest in Naruto himself for now. But when he saw that his Jinchuuriki's eyes were different, he couldn't help paying the boy closer attention. "What are those eyes, how did you get them!" the fox demanded, as close to the bars of the cage as it could physically become. Naruto could see that if it could, the fox would already have Naruto in its hands, either to bring him to its eye, or its jaws. "What is that presence?"

Naruto continued to look at the Kyuubi, realising with a sense of loss that he couldn't get any answers here. He bowed his head for a moment in disappointment, before shaking it hard to remove him from any trace of a slump he might develop. _"Looks like you can't help me out on this one." _he told himself, as he reluctantly decided to put this matter on hold. He had another reason for being here, one that had little to nothing to do with his eyes. _"I'll have to find out about them later… but for now."_

The Kyuubi seemed to sense Naruto's change of heart, and somehow understand his intentions. It paused as Naruto took a further few steps forward than he ever had before. Those odd yellow eyes looked upon the Kyuubi's form, fixing it with a stare that seemed to be learning something incomprehensible. The Kyuubi couldn't help returning this look, before an idea stemmed into its mind. "Could it be that you really _are_ here for my power?" it asked, lowering its head down to the floor of the cavern. Its own eyes looked back at Naruto seeing something equally valuable to whatever the boy was seeing. "There is someone you want to defeat, isn't there? Tell me who it-"

"Uchiha Madara."

The Kyuubi's ears pricked suddenly, that name causing a reaction of surprise that wasn't clear to be welcome or not. All the same, the narrowing of its eyes and the spreading of its grin suggested that this information was useful to it in some form. "A fouler chakra I have never sensed." it spoke, its voice mingled with distaste and respect. "Yet you yourself want to kill him? But with the way your chakra is, it's so mediocre. It would take a lot of power for you to-"

"Where's your other half?"

Once again the Kyuubi was interrupted, this time in a completely unpleasant manner. Naruto was staring up at it with a blank face; the only aspect of his expression that contained any meaning where his eyes. His gaze caught the Kyuubi stupid for a moment, but not numb. The beast's complexion quickly turned into a hateful look as its lips curled back and released a low, threatening snarl that caused the water of the cavern to tremble.

Even so, Naruto's gaze was unwavering. He looked at the giant beast with meaningful eyes, seeing that which he had never seen in the past. The Kyuubi was a mass of physical energy, raw and without knowledge of limitations. He could see that which gave the beast its legend to an extent, but couldn't escape the one indominatable truth that kept this creature from the myth of raising tsunamis and crushing mountains. For all its power, there wasn't a shred of mental energy inside that beast.

"You don't have a mind." Naruto said, more thinking aloud than actually speaking. If there was no mental energy, that could only mean that the Kyuubi was an incomplete source of chakra, nothing compared to what it should be. With that thought in mind, Naruto realised that the beast was nowhere near as powerful as the legends foretold. Of course, that still meant it was an insane force, but without that detrimental key there was no way of knowing where it actually ranked among its brethren. "So all you are is hatred and instinct…"

While the Kyuubi's look of rage grew, his snarl increasing in volume likewise, Naruto thought carefully to himself. Yagura had been right about this then, reasoning with the beast was impossible. And there was no way Naruto could resolve himself to take on the Kyuubi when it was like this. It looked like he had no choice but to admit the Kyuubi to be outside his reach. This was the way it seemed to be. Yet in spite of this, Naruto smiled.

"I think I got an idea…"

Ignoring the nine tailed beast for the moment, Naruto knelt down to the water and brandished his finger. Slowly, he drew the tip through the still stream, using just a shred of chakra to keep the ripples constant. Satisfied that what he had drawn looked correct, he got to his feet and without fear began walking towards the gate. _"All I need is the most basic of Fuinjutsu."_ he thought to himself, as he approached the seal that held the Kyuubi in place. He raised his hand to his mouth and bit into the finger that he had drawn through the water, getting enough blood to flow so that he could do as he needed. _"Thank you Itachi."_

In a well calculated jump, Naruto rose into the air towards the paper seal that was high above. He landed with a hand and his shins against the gates, his chakra holding him firmly in place. There, at the available space at the bottom of the seal, he carefully drew his own seal onto the paper. This consisted of a circle with a spiral outside it, which when it touched the circle at the bottom became a straight line reaching for a dot in the centre.

Though it was rough, it was enough to do what Naruto wanted. He spread his writing hand out to the side, and focused to the point where flames of chakra emanated from his fingers. "Fuinjutsu: Stream Method!" he called, before pressing those fingers around the still wet seal. Infusing his chakra, he gave the seal an existence past a simple drawing, and had it do its job. Though he himself could barely notice the effects, he couldn't deny them. And as he dropped back down to the water, it seemed neither could the Kyuubi.

"What is this, what have you done?" the demon fox demanded, fruitlessly trying to see the seal Naruto had created. After a few moments, to Naruto's satisfaction, the seal seemed to have a slight effect. The Kyuubi begun to blink in confusion, as if it had suddenly been dazed by something that only affected it itself. Then suddenly its eyes snapped open, and directed themselves straight at Naruto with pure loathing inside them. "YOU!"

Naruto's hair flew back from the force of the roar, and he winced uncomfortably as he felt his eyeballs dry. But the smirk he wore could not be removed, nor the sense of excitement that rose from within him. It looked like what had started out as a half assed theory had worked out after all. "Looks like the Yondaime's seal regulates how much chakra I can draw from you." he said, taking several steps back to admire the full effects of his Jutsu. He couldn't help feeling a little giddy, nor could he ignore the irony that the Kyuubi seemed angry. After all, this was in a way a gift from Naruto to the beast. In fact, just to keep the demon from fretting over it, he decided to tell the beast personally before he left. "All I'm doing is giving you mental energy. It's not much, but you should be grateful. Ha ha ha ha!"

* * *

Back in Seiryuutoshi, with the afternoon sun cast on its glorious white walls, Fuu was pacing through the corridors of the former trade centre worriedly. Everyone had gone their separate ways, Gaara and Yagura to get to know the place and Utakata and Han to take care of certain things. None of them had said anything about Naruto since the discussion ended; it looked like they had decided to let him cool off. But Fuu wasn't entirely comfortable with that, since she knew that Naruto wasn't likely to become level headed just because he threw his fists at the air for a while. She was torn between going out looking for him, or doing as the others were.

"_What to do what to do…"_ she thought to herself, as she walked through the halls of the hacienda style estate. She still recalled the state she had seen Naruto in when she had met up with him in Konoha; how he shattered walls, slaughtered guards, then looked at her with a smile and sly comment even as blood dripped from his eyes. If that was him in a good mood, she didn't want to know what he would be like after releasing that much anger back there. _"I never thought he could be so scary-"_

Suddenly she jumped in shock as she felt a hand land on her head. From behind her someone stepped around, walking backwards with a calm smile on his sweat streaked face. Fuu had to blink a couple of times to make sure she was looking at who she thought she was, considering her early concerns. "Yo Fuu-chan!" Naruto said, giving a two fingered salute as he slowly backed away from the younger girl. That gesture soon turned into a thumb jerking behind him and a questioning look. "The others this way?"

"Uh- yeah!" Fuu said back in surprise, realising that this was in fact the very person she had been thinking about. Feeling relief, she joined him as he turned around and continued on, glad that she no longer had to make the decision of bothering him. "Everyone else is in the courtyard talking to the store owners and everyone else who's important in this place. They figured it would be better to get it out of the way… you know… with the way things are…"

"Is that so?" Naruto mused, as the two of them turned and stepped into the main office. There was no one else inside this room, but from the opening to the balcony they could easily hear voices that suggested the meeting Fuu had mentioned. Naruto didn't waste any time in rushing over there, vaulting over the desk and hopping onto the railing of the balcony. Down below he could see the other four Jinchuuriki standing before a group of at least thirty adults, Utakata taking the reigns of explaining the situation. "Isn't it rude to start without the boss?"

All eyes were suddenly on him, including the shocked ones of his allies down below. Naruto kept himself standing tall and proud. Though he wore a grin at the moment, he let it slip after he acknowledged that it wasn't the best expression for this situation. And so once he had donned a more serious look, he decided to fulfil his role as leader and give his "people" his first speech. "Listen, all of you." he said, fixing their attention as his arms slipped across each other. He looked at them all like he knew them, like how he knew he _should_ look at them. This was way over his head, but he wasn't going to give in yet.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I'm a disrespectful brat who doesn't have a clue what he's doing. That's the truth. And so is this. As long as all of you are under my care, I'm not going to abandon a single one of you. That's the first rule; no one gets left behind. I know what you're all thinking; you've been let down by Otogakure and are scared that we're going to change your home into something you won't even recognise. I'm not going to let that happen."

He lifted his gaze to the windows and shadows, looking over the Shinobi that separated themselves from everyone else. Those who used to belong to that very village had been gathered here too, and so Naruto spoke also to them. "There are a lot of you here who have been hurt in the past, and some who maybe need to know what that feels like. It doesn't matter which side of that you're on, because from now on you're all the same. We'll protect you as long as you show us that you're worth protecting. There's no free ride here, so don't expect anything to be handed to you. Anyone got a problem with that?"

"Yeah, I got a problem!" yelled out one of the bulkier men present here. He stepped forward to make his angered presence known, his thick gut and shiny bald head already doing a wondrous job at that. He glared openly at Naruto without any intimidation of the sharp toothed boy with the giant sword. For that, Naruto already felt a slight respect for him. "We've lived here for years and have never faced any trouble! We don't even need your protection; you being here will only BRINGtrouble!"

As the crowd began to mutter their words of agreement, words that were quickly rising in volume, Naruto could feel the other Jinchuuriki shooting him looks of warning. But Naruto just gave them winks in return, silently asking for them to show some faith in him at this moment in time. He raised his hand in the air, and waited for the begrudging gathering to quiet down. When that happened, he did the unexpected, and hopped down to their level.

"I only just arrived here today, I've been dealing with some trouble that's been going on in the west." he said, slipping his hands into his pockets as he slowly walked towards the crowd. People moved aside to let him past, not taking their eyes off of him for the slightest moment. "But you know something? This village is the most beautiful place I've ever seen; you guys have a right to be protective of it. But you've undoubtedly already heard about what's going on out there. Iwa, Suna, Konoha, they're all getting pretty active. What'll you do if Kumo wants to occupy this place to get closer to what's happening?"

"Considering the turmoil in Kumogakure, that's not unlikely."

Naruto glanced over his shoulder with a look of surprise, seeing Gaara's meaningful expression. It appeared his words had triggered a realisation, which in turn Gaara had revealed to him. _"That's right, if the Hachibi is gone, and Kumo tracks it back to Akatsuki, then that war will probably be big on their radar." _he thought, as he returned his attention to the villagers around him. The looks on their faces made it obvious that they didn't understand what Gaara said, yet all the same were troubled by it. Naruto decided to clarify this to his advantage, seeing an opportunity. "He's right, there's every chance that Kumo is on their way here as we speak. And even if they're not, the daimyo will be in a tough position if there's no hidden village here. Understand that we're not just here to protect you guys, but the whole country. Will you let us do that?"

The villagers looked to one another with doubtful expressions, clearly not one hundred percent certain about what they had heard. A majority of the glances were cast to the primary naysayer, yet even he was caught silent by the fact that it was not simply their town that was being guarded. "You promise this town will stay the way it is, that our home isn't going to be warped by you ninja?" he asked, with a finger pointing accusingly at Naruto's chest. The young ninja looked up at the man with a confident face, giving a strong nod that seemed to satisfy that person. "We'll see about that."

With his consent, the others in the crowd were swayed in the same direction. Nods came all around as the villagers soon became rather certain of themselves. Once again Naruto was forced to acknowledge the power of consensus, and in this case he actually welcomed it. Deciding to make a professional start, he turned on his heel and strode out of the crowd towards his fellow Jinchuuriki. "Yagura, we need you to come up with a defence for the village, a Genjutsu or barrier or something." he said, fixing his eyes upon the straw haired Shinobi.

"I'll need a team to help with something like that."

"No problem, find anyone you can use and get them to it." Naruto responded, before moving on to the others. He could see they were still a little unsure of him, like the villagers, but he knew that when this was over all doubts would disappear. After all, he already had _that_ little problem taken care of. "In the meantime I'll send my hounds out to create a perimeter, Fuu can assign some ninja to go along with them, and get some guards to patrol the town. Han, you heard the people, do your best to keep the town's aesthetics in mind when you start construction. Utakata, we need training camps for the less experienced Shinobi, and teams for the rest of them. Gaara, you work on our other business for now."

This concession was the one that concluded the Jinchuuriki's thoughts. Naruto was openly saying that Gaara could take care of the Akatsuki situation. As nice as that sound, every one of them got a bad feeling from it. Naruto however paid this little heed, as he himself had one last thing to take care of before he adjourned this little gathering of the faces. With his hands rising into the cross ram seal, he turned around and faced the villagers with a broad grin. "With all of your approval, my comrades and I will rebirth this village into something that will truly be a marvel to the rest of the world!" he said, in a loud clear voice. In time to his words, imitations of himself appeared on the roof of the building, throwing something over the edge. It was a crimson tapestry, created through unusual means, which bore an unusual symbol upon itself. It looked like a golden pinwheel, with three thick arms and three thin ones. An unusual design crafted by an unusual person. "So from this day forward, let this place be known as the village hidden in the capital, Keishigakure."

* * *

The time was late, the afternoon sun gone beyond the forests to the west. The sky had darkened rather quickly, allowing for a cool night filled with shining stars. Out to the side of the trade centre, just under a hundred yard's walk away, a small stream ran through one of the many gardens of this glistening village. This stream shimmered from the light of the moon, reflecting up into the single tree that occupied the small space, a willow that cast its leaves into the waters it rested beside.

It was at this tree, resting against the soft bark, that Sakura and Hinata could be found. The two of them were gazing up at the sky, feeling calmed from the sight high above them. They looked to be quite tranquil, though that was understandable, since they had never approached this place before. It was a new sight to them, one that they had quickly grown fond of. The whistling of the wind through the leaves, the passing of the water in the stream, it could even go as far as to be called nostalgic.

"Man, you sure pick some weird places to meet."

In an instant the tranquillity was ruined, as from behind them they watched Naruto approach. They both noted that even at this moment in time, he continued to carry that heavy looking blade around with him like it was necessary. The sight of that weapon, and the knowledge of what he could do _without it_ was enough to destroy any feelings of peace they had garnered from those last few minutes. "You wanted to meet us for something?" Sakura asked, feigning indifference with skill enough to even make her eyes appear distant. Her one failure was asking that question though, since there was no other reason for Naruto to be here.

The sword wielder stepped past the two girls and came to a stop by the river. He let his hands take place on his waist as he looked down into the water, seeing the white light that shone back up at him. In all honesty this meeting was the last thing that mattered to him right now, but he wanted to take care of it before anything unnecessary happened. "I'm just gonna come out and say it; there's no reason for us to keep you around anymore." he announced, without looking at the two girls he was speaking to. He could already feel their rising tension, and at the moment he didn't particularly care for it. "You'll be taken a safe distance from this place. After that, you can do what you want, go back to Konoha, go after those two guys, whatever."

For an instant he had an idea of what it was like to be a Hyuuga, as everything that happened behind him went exactly as how he expected it would. Sakura took an indignant step forward, releasing an expression of shock and anger that was seconded by Hinata just behind her. "Wait, that wasn't what we agreed on!" the pink haired medic exclaimed, without holding back a fragment of her emotions like most Shinobi probably should. "Our deal was that we would do as you asked in return for being able to find-"

"If that's what it'll take to get you out of my face without wasting effort, then no problem." Naruto interrupted, his tone darker even than the night sky above them. To ensure he was not misunderstood, he cast a gaze over his shoulder that was as cold as a glacier yet as fiercely radiant as a bothered eagle. With these eyes, and his empty expression, neither Sakura nor Hinata recognised anything of the boy they thought they had figured out. "Follow Akatsuki, and you'll find the reason behind everything. Tell that to your Hokage, and sooner or later you _will_ meet with those two again."

Both Sakura and Hinata paused at this clue, their minds reeling for any signs that they knew what Naruto was talking about. There was a good chance they had heard of Akatsuki at some point by now, but just how much they knew was a mystery. Sakura almost indulged herself in her rapidly rising desire for understanding, when Hinata grabbed onto her arm. Whatever the Hyuuga girl said, the Haruno one relented after a moment, and the two of them took their slow leave.

Naruto waited as the girls distanced themselves from him, fully aware that he would never meet those two again. A full minute passed where he contained his feelings, but when he was certain that he was alone, he found he could suppress them no longer. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" he laughed, his lips spreading apart into a creepy smile that was reflected in the ever moving stream. He crouched down by the water, getting a closer look at the face staring up at him from down there. The giddy feeling in his gut refused to leave, and seemed only to grow in intensity with each passing moment. _"I've got a village… a country… an _army_… and soon the Kyuubi. It won't be much longer Pein… we'll show them the way, just like you always planned."_


	22. Thunder and lightning reveal my path

For those of you confused about the village name and things like that, Keishigakure is based on Kyoto. Seiryuutoshi is "town of the azure dragon", the azure dragon being the guardian of Kyoto in the east (which is where my village is located). The Keishi in Keishigakure is also what Kyoto is sometimes known as. The symbol on their headbands is Kyoto's "logo", whatever that means, so if you're having trouble imagining it then you can just wiki Kyoto and it should be plain to see. Well anyway, here we go with the next one!

* * *

**Thunder and lightning reveal my path**

There was a lot of excitement in the place now known as Keishigakure. Ninja in brown clothes and grey flak jackets were darting through the streets and over the rooftops, running all sorts of errands for their newly acquired home. The townspeople turned villagers had quickly lost their sceptical outlook on the ninja when the younger of those ninja had been put into teams and were tasked with ranked missions. Soon there was no longer a line dividing the Hizuma and former Oto nin, as all of them became known as Keishi Shinobi.

What had once been a sleepy town was now so much livelier with the ever active young people inhabiting the place. Owners of shops that had never had great business became landlords as the ninja rented whatever place was open. These were used for training classes for the inexperienced ninja, shops specialising in ninja tools supplied by the daimyo's sources, even eateries made with the intent for helping Keishi ninja both unwind and reenergise with their dishes. All in all, the development was going over very well.

The focal point of all this excitement was the former trade centre, now known as the council chambers. The young, the unemployed and those in need of some extra money were given administrative jobs here, taking care of the more financial errands and such that needed done. Already there were messages coming from the Daimyo detailing of missions of high value, and requests for ninja to train his personal guard. There had been some bitter laughter on that last part, but the request had not been denied. However they two had been forced to send out a request of their own; they were running out of ninja for all the jobs that needed done.

"Send word to the Hizuma clan; inform them that we have an estate for them here if they want it." Naruto said, from his place at the desk of the main office. He sat with his back to the attendants noting the tasks he gave, currently in the midst of doing several things at once. His eyes were fixed on an open folder on the floor, a report Gaara had sent from Kaze no Kuni. Whilst he carefully read what was written there, he unfurled the bandages wrapped around his arms. With a creasing brow and a twitching brow, he freed a hand for a moment to turn the page. _"The Kazekage has gone off somewhere… and from what we've heard, so has the Raikage… it doesn't look good."_

He dropped the bandages from his arms onto the desk behind him, before blindly reaching out for a small bundle next to them. He pulled from the surface a pair of arm and shin guards, the black metal giving a nice shine in the afternoon sun. "Utakata should be teaching somewhere, pass on the message from Yagura." he continued, as he tied the arm guards into place. He could hear one of the attendants move forward to take the letter Yagura had sent, the one detailing the results from his meeting with the Daimyo. While he attacked the shin guards in place, he finished Gaara's report before picking it up and dropping it on the desk. "File that away while you're at it."

He got to his feet and picked up one last thing from the surface of his crowded desk. With the faintest sign of a smirk, he turned it over in his hands and bowed his head. He felt the cool, dark cloth press against his skin, and the weight of the metal plate on the other side. He tied the material in a tight knot behind his head, and felt an odd sense of ease that the Keishigakure headbands were at least comfortable. As he turned to face his attendants, he grabbed from the arm of his chair one of the grey flak jackets that almost all his ninja wore. Shrugging it on, he completed his new outfit and spread his arms apart with a look of pride. "What do you think?"

"Ah, you look very dangerous!" responded on of the attendants, a woman in a sand coloured Kimono. Her hasty look suggested that her answer may have been biased on Naruto's position, which if proved true Naruto would have to take care of. But then the woman adorned a look of apology, a weak smile and closed eyes. "However, perhaps it's not the best sort of thing for someone in your position to be wearing? Frankly speaking, people who look dangerous don't often attract loyal friends, if you know what I mean."

Naruto cocked a brow at his attendant's honesty, taking back his thought of reprimanding her for what had seemed like insincerity a moment before. He scratched his chin with a thoughtful expression, before allowing a grin to split across his lips. "Eh, if there's really someone like that then I'll let one of the others deal with it." he said, chuckling faintly at his private joke. It would hardly be a case of him _letting_ them do that, more of a case of them doing everything in their power to make sure Naruto stayed well away from those sorts of things. "Is Fuu ready?"

Next to the female attendant, her male workmate took a sudden step forward with a look even more anxious than hers. He looked down to the clipboard in his hand and lifted his attention back to Naruto diligently. "Yes, she said she'll meet you outside the village!" he responded as quickly as he could. Not for the first time Naruto had to wonder if maybe the workload the people in this building had was past their capabilities. It was just another thing he would have to revise later. "Also that she is going to bring one of the great hounds with her!"

Naruto let out an indignant sigh into the palm of his hand, while the other signalled that his attendants could leave. It seemed that during his stay in Konoha Fuu had somehow usurped his position as pack leader amongst those dogs, to the point where the beasts would seem to greet her with more enthusiasm. Though he had no problem with someone keeping them company when he couldn't, it pissed him off to have his position as their master on the stake against a girl whose best capabilities at keeping them in line was a flick to the nose. The trouble was, a flick to the nose did _nothing_ to dogs the size of bears.

"Well, guess we better get going then." he said, letting his hand drop from his face and grab the hilt of the Ekokaeten resting by the balcony. Slipping this onto his back, he stepped outside and on top of the railing, before finding the quickest route to the main gates and taking off. Things would be fine here for a couple of days; if anything happened Han and Utakata could take care of it. "Don't wanna make them miss me too much…"

* * *

Night had come impressively fast, blanketing the earth with its cold darkness. Clouds were gathering in the sky, disallowing any stars from providing light. Only the moon allowed their world to have shape, that and the skills honed into their senses from years of training. They really should have anticipated then, that the most common reason that forced them to stop was Fuu falling over. And now that unaware girl was riding atop the back of Koyane, who was more than capable of doing what she could not.

Naruto kept himself at the head of the small group, making sure the pace stayed quick and the path stayed clear. He tried to ignore the way Fuu seemed overly relaxed from her position, but so far it was proving to be rather fruitless. In the end he had to give up, as even he was beginning to grow wary of his surroundings. "We'll stop for the night." he said, turning his eyes behind him. He could just barely make out the four Keishi nin behind him, all of whom stopped as ordered. "Hizuma-san, take care of the fire while the rest of us set up."

"Hai!"

As one of the four ninja ran off to gather firewood, the rest of them moved off the road and over towards the rocks to the side. The path they walked upon moved around a steep hill, meaning that many boulders littered the road and all of the trees grew dangerously. The sound of heavy sacks hitting the ground echoed slightly as the ninja loosened their load, glad to take a rest after walking many miles. Fuu slipped off of Koyane as the great mutt jumped up onto said rocks, finding a comfortable place to retire while the humans stayed below. Everyone found a place to comfortably sit, and await their comrade to return from his task.

Just a few short minutes later, the six ninja were gathered around a blazing fire that provided plenty of the heat and warmth that the night had taken from them. As Fuu cast her bright eyes around the faces, she was disappointed to see only distant or uncomfortable expressions. "Hey, so how are you all fitting into your new home?" she asked, in an attempt to break the ice with these people. Though she was unskilled in many areas, friendly conversation was something she had tempered through years of practice, all for the sake of having such a thing with someone. "Are the villagers being nice to you?"

No one knew just how to respond to this question, since no one here was really comfortable with being that open. Of the ninja here that Fuu didn't personally know, only one was a Hizuma and the others were… less inclined to speak about these things. But on the other hand, Fuu was one of the top ranking generals of Keishigakure; refusing to answer would seem almost dangerous when it was someone like that. "Come on guys, you can answer right?" Naruto asked, looking at the other men coolly as he reclined against one of the rocks. "Or are you the types who get easily choked up around girls?"

It seemed that in spite of Naruto's general seclusion from the ways of other people, he understood well the thinking patterns of men in general. Each of the ninja before him look somewhat flustered at the accusation, clearly not wanting to be labelled as something as soft hearted as that. "Um… the village is very nice." said one of the nin, an unusual bald man who had half his face covered in a cloth mask and his eyes hidden behind his forehead protector. In spite of his blocked vision, he turned his head slightly to Fuu's direction as he answered her. Even without a visible expression he still looked rather uncomfortable. "The villagers don't like ninja from Oto however; they don't want to trust us."

"Is that so?" Naruto asked, his calm stance soon replaced with a more serious one. He knew that by now word had spread through the village about the way things were to be; that all ninja living in the village were Keishi ninja, regardless of who they were before. It seemed however that people were reluctant to change, instead clinging to what they knew from history and blaming these ninja for it. "We'll get that taken care of when we get back. We'll probably have to find a way to make peace."

It was at these words that the Hizuma ninja suddenly perked up, his attention fixing upon Naruto and his expression clearly showing that he hoped he would be allowed to say what he was about to speak. "Um, about that… I was wondering just what we're doing out here in the first place?" he asked, his eyes flickering nervously to the three ninja to his left. It seemed like the majority of the ninja weren't yet welcome in the village, the Hizuma weren't quite welcome among the ninja. "Everyone's working hard back at the village… is it really ok for us to be away like this?"

If he had been concerned of being looked down upon by his fellow ninja, he need not have worried in the first place. From the way the other ninja looked at him, and then to Naruto, it was clear to see that they too had been thinking about things like this. Under their expectant faces, Naruto was inclined to answer. The only thing holding him back however, was Fuu. "… We're going to an old Otogakure hideout, a place Orochimaru reportedly spent a lot of time." he explained, hoping that Fuu's general naivety would keep from troublesome questions being raised. "From what I've heard that place was his main archive. And from what I've heard about Orochimaru, it doesn't seem likely that the information is useless."

From this answer alone the level of tension rose considerably. Speaking of Otogakure had become taboo in Keishigakure; Orochimaru was on an even higher plane than that. Three of the six ninja here knew very well what that man had been capable of, while Naruto only knew bits and pieces. Fortunately Fuu was completely in the dark when it came to that person, which was completely in Naruto's favour. The last thing he wanted was for her to learn the truth of why he was here. No, it was more truthful that he didn't want _anyone_ to know why he was here.

He hadn't lied; everything he said had been the complete truth. But what he didn't say was the vital detail. This base was Orochimaru's main archive, and the place he had spent the most time. Ergo it was also the place that held the highest chance of holding vital information regarding Hyuuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke. He had a feeling that the person renowned as the shrewd snake sannin would not have been able to resist keeping tabs on a couple of freaks like those two. Though it was possible that that was Naruto's own internal belief. In any case, he _had_ to find the truth, otherwise he wouldn't be able to do anything.

While the others rifled through their bags to find something to appease their hunger, he himself felt little of that desire. He slipped his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky, working out how many hours they had before sunlight. With that he let his eyelids close, and began to rest for what was going to be a relatively short night before what would hopefully be a long and fruitful day. With his thoughts sent only in one direction, it was easy for him to drift off, and miss the things going on around him. It was a pity then, that one of those things was Fuu's piercing eyes, fixed upon him with under the darkness of the night.

* * *

It had taken them a good while the next day to get to their destination. But even when they arrived they didn't have an easy time of it. The morning sun allowed for few shadows, and though the day was hot there was no mirage. The group had passed through a forest of oak trees, and had come to settle at one set apart from the rest. Yet no matter which way they cast their eyes, they could see nothing that indicated the entrance to a hidden base. For that reason, Naruto had to congratulate Orochimaru for a job well done.

However, when that thought disappeared it was soon replaced with a feeling of discomfort. He had really hoped that he would be able to spot this place, since he had already visited one of Orochimaru's bases once before. But for all the searching around he did, he could uncover nothing whatsoever. _"It's probably hidden by chakra…" _he thought to himself, when he concluded a Jutsu to be the reason he could see nothing. _"The Nehangan can only see mental and physical energy, but after they form into chakra they become something else, something I _can't_ see…"_

His troubled thoughts were spared to him as some of the group, those more familiar with Orochimaru's methods than him, made their move forward. He looked questioningly at Fuu, only to notice that she had given them the signal to do so. Though he didn't exactly mind, what _did_ bother him was the knowing smile that girl wore, as if she had thought of something that Naruto hadn't. "Here it is." said one of the nin, a guy with a tight dark ponytail and a large pair of headphones on. He stood before two particularly large roots of the lonely oak tree, tapping one of the knots with his foot. "There's a slight echo."

Naruto had to admit he was impressed, but refused to give Fuu the satisfaction of doing so openly. She had been the one who picked the team, and it appears she had done so rather well. He walked on ahead to the roots with a curious look, his attention turning to those he now knew were best to have leading the way. "So what should we expect?" he asked, as another regretful memory of his last excursion through the snake sannin's hideouts returned to his mind. "Traps, guards… mutant prisoners?"

"I wouldn't expect so, Orochimaru didn't like to have interference with his work, so he kept most of his forces where his experiments were conducted." replied the third ninja who knew of that man. This one, whose hood kept his eyes from being seen, took point from the others and stood directly between the roots. There he crouched down, placing one gloved hand on the earth and raising the other in a single seal. Naruto regarded this guy curiously; this was the first time he had really made his presence known. He could see silver lines running across the gloves this guy wore, lines that ran all the way across his back and front to the glove on the other side. "Sound Sentry Shockwave!"

This hooded nin released his seal and lifted his hand higher in the air. There he snapped his fingers, and to the surprise of Naruto, Fuu and the Hizuma nin, the ground around that person's other hand crumbled silently. He took a step back to avoid slipping on his own handiwork, before turning around to look at his bewildered superiors. "Thousands of conflicting vibrations cause the surface to crumble into dust." he explained, in a tone as simple as any textbook explanation. Then without any further word, he and the other two began their descent down the stone staircase that had been hidden by that small earth wall. Naruto, Fuu and the Hizuma boy all glanced at each other, before sharing the same thought. As cruel a person as Orochimaru sounded, he sure as hell came out with some interesting subordinates.

When everyone else had descended the stairwell, and entered into the passage below, they came to a much needed stop. It was one thing to walk around in the dead of night, but here was asking a little too much. It was good fortune then that there were torches placed in brackets on the walls, which were soon made good use of. A brief favour from the Hizuma nin had all of them with their own personal beacon of light. "Ok, search the place for anything useful, but the main objective is to find where the main databank is." Naruto said, lifting his torch to reveal the corridors ahead. Already there were signs of junctions; from what he could see there was little to no chance of the group staying together for very long. "We'll meet back here in three hours to gather results, make sure you know how to get back here."

All around he was given nods in reply, which were soon followed by departing footsteps. He gave a nod of farewell to Fuu, before taking a more hurried run up the main passageway and off into the shadows. Koyane stayed with the green haired girl, sensing his master's order without having to be told it. The oversized dog looked out at the departing boy, and let out a steady whine. "Come on Koyane-kun." Fuu said, placing her hand on the back of the hound's neck and leading him through the passage. "Let him do what he's going to do."

* * *

In a situation like this, where Naruto was determined to find the archive as quickly as possible, he really was glad that he could use the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu as easily as walking. He cut down the time it took to find the place he sought by a percentage he couldn't possibly calculate without some form of assistance. With this always useful ability at his disposal finding his destination took a mere twenty minutes. Soon he had made his way to the door one of his clones had entered, and from there made his way inside.

The room was dark, as he already knew it would be. His torchlight failed to fill this room; the sound of his footsteps covered much more ground. But visibility was of little importance, as he already knew where the thing he sought was. That was why his footsteps had purpose, direction and haste. For soon he was standing before a tall computer that took up almost the entire wall, a giant metal and glass machine that was marred with dust, dirt and cracks on the screens. This was the only computer of this scale that Naruto had managed to find, and therefore seemed most likely to contain that which he sought. The only trouble was, there was no power with which to-

_Choom… choom-choom-choom-CHOOM-CHOOM!_

Naruto looked up in surprise as lights overhead suddenly cast their blinding energy all through the room. The computer before him also turned on, humming noisily into life as if Naruto's own concern had breathed power into this lonely room. _"Someone must have found a generator or something."_ he thought to himself, with a faint smile at the timing. He tossed the still blazing torch aside for now as he set his attentions to the computer, knowing that with the sudden surge of electricity he should have plenty of time to work. _"Now let's see…"_

He had to admit that computers were not exactly a strong point for him. In fact, there had only been a few moments in his life where he had ever encountered such things. As a result, even though he found what he was looking for he regrettably realised that he had hit a brick wall. Even while everything booted up, he almost lost faith in this whole idea. But then a list appeared on the screen, something simple and concise. And on that list, there was one phrase that caught Naruto's attention primarily. Genwaku Byakugan. He was hesitant, but was able to understand just enough to access that folder, which to his surprise was a sound file.

"It seems that there is someone out there who has a very interesting power." spoke a hoarse voice, that of a man. The tone suggested little more than self curiosity, yet was ever hinted with changing tones of glee and distaste. "My memories had been altered, but it seems that this person somehow infiltrated this very place and confronted me. She created a mental block to keep me from ever recalling our meeting, and managed to completely erase her presence even from the cameras. If not for one of my prized subordinate's sudden betrayal, I wonder if I would have ever found out about her.

"When I assimilated dear Mono-chan's seal back into my body, somehow the block that had been placed was destroyed. I believe it may have something to do with the gain of mental energy, memories from that source forcing the seal that had been placed on me to break. This is useful information, but worthless compared to what I recalled from that most unusual event.

"That woman came with promises of the power to create whatever I desire. What she requested in return was that I find a Hyuuga of exceptional potential with which for her to gift some of her power to. This, "Genwaku Byakugan" was to be a demonstration of what she was capable of. Impressive though that turned out to be, it was nothing compared to what I felt coming from that woman. I want her. That body is perfect, the true ultimate being. So for now I shall do as she desires, until I can find out-"

Naruto continued to stare at the screen with a furrowed brow, taking in whatever it was he could learn. So rather than being a higher level of the Byakugan, someone was responsible for Neji gaining that power? _"Then… maybe she has a connection to the Nehangan…"_ he speculated, placing his hands upon to surface of the computer as he focused harder on the recording. It was a loose connection, sure, but the conditions didn't sound too different. He had no memory of ever gaining these eyes, something that he apparently had in common with Neji. _"Great, so does that mean I got an "ultimate being" keeping tabs on-"_

Suddenly he cried out in pain, as a low hissing quickly turned into a stabbing sensation in the palm of his hand. Stepping away from the computer, he looked at his hurting extremity with a tense expression, paling a little as he caught sight of the culprit. A small snake as white as snow was clutching onto his hand, biting into the flesh between his finger and thumb. He didn't hesitate in grabbing hold of this aggressive serpent, and was even willing to tear the damn thing out of his hand. Without any mercy he crushed the creature and hurled it away, before what had started as a slight paling turned into the colour draining from his face. He was not as alone in the room as he first thought.

It looked like a monster, a strange mass of white snakes forming together to create one gigantic one. This thing had a thin but large face with black spiky hair falling all around it, and a chin like a kunai. Several rows of teeth were in full reveal, and golden slitted eyes watched Naruto with as much venom as that monster may have possessed in those very fangs. At first Naruto had been unnerved by this hideous apparition, but only as long as it took him to realise something; this beast had been impaled into the wall by thick black rods.

"GAH!" Naruto cried out, his study of the creature brought to a stop by the blinding pain in his hand. He gripped his wrist tight as the sudden fear of poison fuelled his thoughts. He knew the Kyuubi granted him great healing ability, but had never tested it against non physical wounds before. The pain he was feeling was great, and like a river it flowed up his arm, through his neck and reached even the foundations of his brain. There the agony was worsened not only by an increase of intensity, but also by an indiscriminate flow of voices that pounded through his ears. "HAAARRGGHH!"

"_Are you awake dear?"_

"_Wakey wakey Mr Sleepyhead!"_

"_Don't you want to play a while?"_

"_I really want to see you play around for a while."_

"The whole world is your playground; feel free to break it if you wish."

The ground hit Naruto hard, the force knocking the pain swiftly from his mind. He stared stupidly off into space, his eyes drying out with the lids spread as wide as they were capable of. Shrunken pupils and a look of total terror told anyone who could see that his mind had just exploded on itself, leaving him in a state of utmost shock. "Oh shit…" he breathed, his hands lifting up and gripping onto his hair tight. "Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit!"

_"With that faceless boy who would bring a new era to the world, there was something else. A haze of shadows hiding a storm of light trying to break out. This haze was draped over the boy's shoulders, whispering into his ear. Whatever that thing said, it incited one of the two paths that boy would take. And that path, was the one of destruction."_

Everything else in his mind was gone, everything that had happened recently up to the stuff far in the past. The great toad sage's prophecy and the things he had just remembered were what rang most prominently. He didn't even notice his steady rocking, too torn up was he on his own realisation. "It's real… it's all real!" he breathed, his shrunken pupils shaking in their yellow irises. His exhales shuddered every moment as if a great cold had befallen him, much like the shadow he could almost feel. "Fuck fuck fuck FUCK!"

That last word, the highest release of the feelings inside that he could manage, was accompanied with a sharp kick to the computer's base. But the material was stronger than he thought, and the shock caused him to flinch. In doing so, he was forced to shift his position to nurse his stinging toe. It was because of that very action that he noticed what was on the ground. For some reason, there was a huge silhouette where the dirt and grime had slowed to reach, and flecks of dried blood that indicated where the serpent must have died. In realising this, Naruto looked up at the creature again, and was forced to wonder why it was now pinned up on the wall. _"Hold on…"_ he thought, rising to his feet. Slowly and shakily he walked over to the monster, his eyes as wide as when he made his shocking discovery. From his side reached out a hand, which gripped the cold object that forced the serpent against the wall, and gave Naruto a sharp and scary realisation. _"These rods… they're Pein's!"_


	23. Disconcertion merely distracts from

Wow, this will be my earliest update in a LONG time. Guess going back to college is a good thing, even if I'm only up ths early on a Monday. Though I can't say the constant daze I'm in after getting only four-five hours is much good. I can get by with less, but it's no fun. Anyway, I once again subjected myself to false hope with this one by getting off to a great start before naturally becoming really lazy with it the next day. Though looking over I can't say it affected the length too much, I never realised how big the paragraphs still were after going through 's resizing. Anyway, here's the next update.

* * *

**Disconcertion merely distracts from the true disaster**

It had been a long time since Gaara had last tasted this arid heat, the dry air that left one parching for water even after already drinking. The broiling sun was fatal to anyone foolish enough to remain under its gaze too long, and had been like this for many hours. The dust filled wind scattered sand around him, giving his jacket meaning behind his name. In spite of this unenviable weather, he sat perched atop the tallest dune as close to the last place on earth he wanted to be; Sunagakure.

With his legs crossed and his eyes closed, he held his fingers across the lids in single seals. With this Jutsu he was able to use the Daisan no Me, an ocular technique that allowed him to view things through eyes of sand. On this occasion he utilised two of these eyes in the bodies of Suna Bunshin that had disguised themselves as Shinobi of that village. Those two clones were making their way through the streets, gathering whatever information they could find on the location of the Kazekage. For some reason, even the villagers didn't seem to know where their leader had gone.

At first Gaara had held no interest in the affairs of Sunagakure; his intentions held only one dark fate for the village responsible for creating him. What had caught his concern however was that from the information he had gathered not only the Kazekage was missing, but the Hokage of Konohagakure too. He knew that there was a shaky treaty between Suna and Konoha as a result of a failed invasion a few years ago, but it was very unlikely that the leaders of those places disappeared so secretively to discuss further alliances.

Considering the timing, along with other things that had happened lately, Gaara had the growing suspicion that these events were linked to the war Akatsuki had created around Kusagakure. Indeed, the three great villages surrounding that place were starting to get agitated; the next Great War was almost a definite possibility. If that really was the case, then he could imagine that the villages were either on to Akatsuki, or Yoinokuchi. After all, it seemed far too unlikely that the villages were missing the way that war had started. Gaara just hoped for now that he was merely being paranoid.

He took a shallow breath, lowering his hands from his eyes. His Bunshin had moved into the shadows before dispersing, granting him use of his own vision once again. The telltale crunch of the sand told him that he would have need of his senses, even if only for a short time. With one hand he rose to his feet, and turned to face the direction the approaching sound was coming from. What he caught first was the glint of two forehead protectors, bearing the marking that represented the village behind him. For the rest of it, he didn't need to spend much time taking in.

"Who'd've thought we'd catch up with you here of all places?"

This question was posed by none other than Gaara's older brother Kankurou. Like in the past, this person dressed strangely in a heavy black kimono with a red obi, gloved hands and a kabuto style of hood. A pair of purple stripes ran across his face, with a small bar rising from his chin. And on his back, there was a set of three large scrolls. Even though it had been a long time, Gaara had no trouble recognising this stupid looking person.

Then there was the other one, the eldest of the three. Temari still kept her blonde hair tied back in multiple bunches, and still carried that giant iron fan on her back. But the clothes Gaara had last seen her in had been traded for a sleeveless black shirt and miniskirt, with a lilac flak jacket and fishnet underclothes. Were Kankurou looked like some sort of hermit, she had been Gaara's dictionary definition of a self righteous hussy for years. Needless to say he was as glad to see them as they were to see him.

"You two have certainly followed me a long way." he said, his arms folding as he looked at them. He couldn't quite treat them with complete disinterest, considering who they were, but at the same time he could only see them as insignificant. What drove his curiosity was not how far they had come for him, but rather why they had come at all. After all, Suna had been keen to get rid of him for many years now, before he even abandoned that place. "How did you find me?"

This situation was disadvantageous for him, but not in terms of power. With the village hidden in the sand behind him, he could already feel a negative effect taking place. But with those two added in to the equation, that effect grew dramatically. He could tell this effect apparent, by the slightest tremors he saw in his elder siblings' eyes. Aside from that they managed to keep strong, Temari even finding the will to speak. "We encountered an ally of yours who was taking a job in Kage no Kuni. We found his employer and made him give us a name."

"A name?" Gaara repeated, the dark rings around his eyes seeming larger as his eyes narrowed. What they said sounded rather odd, things didn't immediately add up as he expected. He already knew that Naruto had fought these two and won, so there was no reason for them to seek out _his_ name. Moreover, if they were looking for the employer, then all they would come up with was… "I see… so you went to Akatsuki."

Temari gave a stoic nod, but was privately impressed with her youngest brother's rapid thinking. Before he never even tried to think past what interested him, so to show something like this displayed significant growth. "They said that if we wanted to find you we would have to work for them." she explained, displaying her own habit for talking as much as she could manage. "So we agreed to it, and worked beneath one of their members until we finally caught up with you."

"He doesn't need to know all that!" Kankurou exclaimed, taking a step forward and spreading his arm out before Temari while giving her a look of warning. This look was then cast over to Gaara, where it gained a dangerous tone that the sand wielder had always seen underlying in those eyes, even when fear came before them. "We finally found him, so our mission is complete! Let's just get him back inside Suna and get this whole mess taken care of!"

With that said Gaara could feel this brief reunion drawing to a close. Fortunately he didn't predict the need to put too much effort into this fight; his siblings were already standing in his chakra filled sand after all. "No, not right now." Temari suddenly said, grabbing Kankurou's wrist with a serious look in her eyes. Her two brothers hesitated at her sudden change of pace, both thinking that perhaps their sister was thinking of something dangerous. "We should take him to Sasori-sama."

Kankurou whipped his head around with a look of shock, staring at Temari like she was out of her mind. Gaara could understand his elder brother's feelings, but his attention was more focused on what Temari was saying, and he didn't care in the first place about what Kankurou felt anyway. "Have you lost it or-" Kankurou demanded, making a half turn to better see Temari's face. He stopped mid sentence however with a look of confusion, almost as if he himself had just come to a realisation. "No… you're right… we should take him to… Sasori-sama…"

The change of mind caught Gaara's attention, along with the monotonous way in which it was said. Temari let of Kankurou's arm and the two stepped aside from each other, looking at Gaara expectantly. "So you think I will go with you to find Sasori then?" he asked, before bowing his head and closing his eyes. It seemed to him that he was being lured in that direction, to wherever Sasori was. He was fully aware that this man was a member of Akatsuki, he had even met him sometime not so long ago. The fact that Temari and Kankurou were trying to take him to that person could only mean one thing; Akatsuki was finally making its move on Yoinokuchi. "Well on this occasion you are correct."

* * *

It had been three days since Naruto and Fuu returned from Orochimaru's old hideout, bringing with them an assortment of useful things. Most of these things had been stored on a small computer they had managed to find and take; now all they needed was someone who could operate the damn thing. Technological gift was not what Seiryuutoshi had been renowned for, and Keishigakure was much in the same situation in that respect. They would have to request a recommendation from the Daimyo or something if they wanted to learn the full contents of that piece of equipment. But for now, it was an oversized paperweight.

Fuu's concerns had been elsewhere however, though not entirely unrelated to the situation. Back then, when the time was up and everyone returned, Naruto had acted rather strangely. That computer was one of three things they had procured, along with a sound based tool that the Keishi nin were unfamiliar with and a case of unusual looking liquids. The tool had been given to a squad who were specialists with equipment like that, and the phials were handed to the best medic nin they had for analysis. These were fine finds, but like Fuu had expected they were not what Naruto had wanted to see.

Since then the blond boss of Keishigakure had kept to himself, doing little more than taking care of the affairs of the village. There was seldom a time where he _wasn't_ in his office, signing things or issuing orders which would then lead to something needing signed. It was true that he had become more reliable lately, but Fuu knew well that such boring work would inevitably lead to Naruto breaking _something_. Out of fear of what that something was, she decided to stick to him like glue today.

"Come on in!"

Fuu opened the door and peered into the office, before doing as told and properly entering. Until that moment Naruto had been completely alone, and busy at work like he had always been these past couple of days. For now however he let his attention slip from his papers to his comrade, and his tired expression to a weak grin. "Hey Fuu-chan, isn't this your day off?" he asked. Against most of the Yoinokuchi member's wishes, he made it mandatory that each of them got at least one day off a week. Out of all of them, Fuu was the one who had argued against it the least. "Yagura's getting back today, shouldn't you be meeting with him?"

Fuu simply shrugged in return as her hands gripped each other behind her back. She took a slow waltz through the room, turning on the spot as she looked around the place she already knew well. "I've still got time, and besides, Yagura-kun doesn't like it when people make a big fuss over him." she replied, stepping around Naruto's desk and looking out at the midday sun. She could feel her leader's eyes upon her, and repressed a cocky smile as she realised she had his full attention. "I wonder if Gaara got any leads yet?"

Noticing that Naruto wasn't answering, she took a couple of steps back and sat on the desk just at Naruto's left. She smiled at Naruto and crossed her legs, taking a little of Utakata's advice and doing whatever she could to ensure a reaction. _"If this doesn't work, I'll kill myself!"_ she thought, struggling to maintain as cute a composure as she could. Utakata's teasing was one thing, but when it was Naruto she really got the urge to die. "Hey, how come you got rid of Sakura-chan and Hinata-chan?"

Though her other question had been met with no response, at least this one garnered _something_ of a reaction. Even though it was just a shrug and a blank look, at least it told Fuu that Naruto was open to talking a little. "We didn't need to keep a couple of Konoha dogs hanging around." he replied, showing oddly enough not the slightest sign of bitterness at using such an insulting phrase. Indeed, Fuu had never really understood just what Naruto's feelings for Konoha really were. "Things are troublesome enough without keeping people who could only hinder us around."

"Mm-hmmm…" Fuu responded, sitting her chin on her palms and leaning forward curiously. Though Sakura and Hinata never really got on with the others, understandably so, they had been there long enough that Fuu had gotten used to them. With both of them suddenly gone like this, even though they were those kinds of people she couldn't help feeling a little lonely. Still, it was something she could cope with, since right now she had other things to focus on.

Slipping off the desk again, she wandered around behind Naruto's chair while he set back to work. The idea forming in her head was becoming more and more realistic, until finally she could no longer be so subtle. "You know you've been acting kind of off lately, since we got back from that mission a couple of days ago." she said, turning around to stare at the back of Naruto's head. "Did something happen back there?"

"Huh?" Naruto murmured, his attention already drifting back to his work. Fuu leered at Naruto in a dissatisfied way, feeling personally annoyed that none of her attempts to wheedle information out of him had been successful. She was a Kunoichi after all, hadn't she been trained for the purpose of extracting information from men? Yet for all she did Naruto seemed not to notice, as if he didn't even see her as a girl to start with. "There was a creepy snake corpse thing, but not much else."

Hoping that would be enough to sate Fuu's curiosity, Naruto tried to dig further into his work. What was up with her today, was she that bored on her own that she decided to visit _him_ of all people? _"I mean, we get on well, but not _that_ well." _he told himself, recalling the times in the past when he and Fuu had had close encounters. When he wasn't bullying or berating her, all he could recall was her giving him the cold shoulder. _"Hell… maybe even that's saying a bit much."_

"Hey… Naruto-kun?"

Naruto almost jumped in shock as he felt Fuu's hands on his shoulders. Though in many situations he could keep a cool head, and other he could easily slip into the mood provided, here he was so shocked that even he wound up flustered. As Fuu's fingers brushed across his shoulders and along his neck, he found himself looking up for an explanation. "You're a liar." Fuu said, with a deadpan expression. Then, before Naruto knew what to expect, she tightened her grip on his head and twisted hard.

_Poof!_

Smoke burst into Fuu's face, filling the chair in which Naruto had been seated just a moment ago. When that smoke cleared, with the aid of Fuu's waving hand, her thoughts were confirmed. Naruto had never been here in the first place; it had been a Kage Bunshin doing all his work. That could only mean then that the real Naruto was doing something else, something he needed time and secrecy to do. Fuu turned around and vaulted over the balcony. She needed to meet with Yagura.

* * *

Gaara listened to the droning hum of the engine that powered his descent, the constant tone that coincided with the deep rumbling beneath his feet. He and his two siblings stood in a mineshaft elevator hidden beneath a seemingly abandoned shack in the south coast of Kaze no Kuni, slowly heading down to the place presumably where Sasori awaited them. Not a word had been spoken since the three of them departed from Suna; there was nothing really any of them could think to say.

Small lights placed on the walls cast across the gloom and let Gaara see what he was up against. Rock faces were replaced with metal plating, and further signs showed that the place they were entering was well developed. Gaara hardly doubted that a lot of time had been put into this place, was this one of Akatsuki's secret bases then? If it was, or even if it wasn't, what was about to happen was certainly something he could not afford to lose focus on.

The lift grinded to a halt as it reached the lowest point, what must have been a good twenty metres below ground. Kankurou pushed open the gate to the lift and stepped out, while Temari and Gaara followed on by. When the three of them had departed, the lift began to grind its way back up the shaft. Gaara took careful note of this; it seemed that no one was going to be making a hasty escape from this well secluded place. The events that were about to unfold were growing less and less mysterious.

Their footsteps rang out across the iron floor as they walked through a small but tall chamber towards a large set of metal doors. As they approached them, the doors screeched open through some mechanical mechanism that pulled them apart. From inside the place these doors once guarded, a bright light shone out and lit up the faces of the three siblings. Yet in spite of this, their gait wasn't broken for a moment. As they entered, the doors shuddered to a close behind them.

The room they stepped in was vaster than Gaara could have imagined, what looked like an underground warehouse rather than a subbasement. The height of the room was easily ten metres, and the distance long enough to hold dozens of war machines. Everywhere he looked there was steel; steel walls, steel tables, even steel tools lined up beside said tables. The place was a massive surgical room, but with no signs of anything aiding in life support. And in the middle of this room, staring straight at the three siblings entering, was a hunched Shinobi in an Akatsuki cloak.

Gaara glanced from the corner of his eye as he noticed his siblings stepping aside, but he himself continued on. He looked over the tables beside him, which were in fact workbenches, and came to understand a few things about the person ahead of him already. "So this is the legendary workshop of Akasuna no Sasori?" he asked, while spotting on the walls what looked like racks designed to hold thousands of relatively large objects. "Should I be honoured?"

"Yes… you should." replied the hoarse voice of Sasori, slightly muffled by the rag covering his mouth. He watched Gaara with narrow eyes as the boy slowly approached, the corn rows in his hair growing more visible as he bowed his head. The two quiet Shinobi met their gazes, and there was already no doubt about where the course of this match would lead them. "Though this place is very important to me, I am willing o sacrifice it for the sake of defeating _you_."

Gaara came to a stop as the thought the two had been sharing was suddenly verbalised. With his arms folded and his expression as plain as ever, he allowed Sasori to see just how completely unafraid he really was. "So you would sacrifice a place that means a lot to you simply to defeat me…" he said, without the slightest sign of change compared to the words he spoke. "Then I guess I _should_ be honoured after all."

His words of antagonism had their effect on Sasori, who lowered his stance even further to the ground, his eyes narrowing even more. "Perhaps you should keep your manners in mind, when you are inside someone else's home." he said, his voice full of lethal suggestions. But before he did anything to follow through with his tone, he cast an eye to Kankurou and Temari standing in the corner. After a moment of looking at them, the pair suddenly clutched their heads before slumping to the ground. "You wouldn't want to get on your host's bad side."

Gaara shot a short glance behind him to his two siblings, his suspicions on them confirmed. Sasori had placed some sort of mental Jutsu on them to get them to bring Gaara here, and now that they had met their purpose he made sure they couldn't interfere. They both sat hunched against the walls, clutching their heads and groaning. "Isn't it equally bad manners to call someone out when they are busy?" Gaara retorted, turning his attention back to Sasori without the slightest look of concern for his elder siblings. "Before you suggest etiquette, you should display it yourself."

"What do you want me to say? _I hate waiting._"

With these words Sasori suddenly became shrouded in darkness as the lights above him fell into a slumber. An entire half of the room became the purest black, while Gaara was still bathing in the light reflecting off the metal around him. Already Sasori had fallen into the most basic of Shinobi rule, and hidden himself deep within the shadows. It was clever play then that Gaara was unable to do the same. All he could do then was watch carefully; his Shunshin no Jutsu was not proficient enough for this situation.

Then there was a sound, a tearing noise that reached even at this great distance. From the shadows burst out the Akatsuki cloak, which had been thrown straight in Gaara's direction. The sand wielder already anticipated this as a distraction, but this realisation was irrelevant from the form of attack that was dealt to him. The cloak was instantly torn to shreds by a barrage of lethal senbon firing straight through it. These countless projectiles closed distance to Gaara in merely a second, before striking his shield of sand hard.

Gaara stood in place behind his absolute defence, relying totally on the Shukaku's desperate clutches at survival to ensure he would remain uninjured. Those senbon were expertly aimed; not a single one was managing to pass by him. But in this useless attack Gaara took note of very important factors, like how Sasori was even capable of using this many senbon in the first place. He knew that this person was a famed puppet user, so could it be he had already drawn his weapon?

_Thrrrssshhh!_

Gaara's brow creased as a strange noise came from nowhere, but closed in too fast to tell. His head whipped up as he saw something soar overhead, a small ball of some sorts with a stream of smoke trailing behind it. _"An explosive?"_ he thought for a moment, as he recognised the grenade in the moment it was in his vision. Sasori must have been testing his defences or some-

_Choom!_

Suddenly his eyes widened as purple smoke was thrown at his face, a cloud erupting from inside the grenade. He coughed and choked as the smoke filled his space, pressing his sleeve tight against his mouth and closing his eyes. _"A gas attack?" _he thought, as the tainted air lingered for several painful moments. His sand defence hadn't reacted… was that because this attack had no blunt force? _"How could he know that something like this would get through?"_

"GAARA!"

Gaara turned behind him as he heard his brother's voice calling out, somewhere through the dangerous fog. Faintly he saw something flying his way, something he didn't recognise until it drew near enough. He just barely beat his defence by reaching out and grabbing that object, before pulling it closer to his eyes to get a look. It was a metal faceplate; a gasmask that was designed not to impede the wearer's vision. With shock Gaara looked out to where it had come from, but only for the moment he could afford it.

Quickly he tied the mask around his mouth, and as soon as it was in place let out a shuddering breath. The air he tasted was hot, but free of the toxins floating around. He tried not to pay his brother any attention; he didn't want to see the looks on his or Temari's faces right now. With the poison already in his lungs, he knew he was short on time. And so without any further hesitation he abandoned his brother and sister to face the person responsible for him being here.

"Impressive… you really _are_ a Jinchuuriki."

* * *

No one in the village of Keishigakure was to know where he was, especially not those people who were personally closest to him. If they knew what he was doing right now, he had little doubt that they would turn their backs on him for good this time. And even if they didn't, if they allowed him time to explain, that would have settled their minds and solidified his solitude. In this situation he was completely alone, and therefore had to do things completely of his own volition.

He wasn't that far away to start with, just a couple of miles north of the village. He had made sure that the place he stood was somewhere hard for anyone to get to, and therefore had a low chance of interrupting him. Seclusion wasn't the only thing he needed after all. If he was going to do something like this, he needed a great deal of time and space. It was for that reason why he chose this glade hidden in the mountain ranges. There was absolutely no sign of the horizon, no way that he would be found unless someone knew he was there.

"I gotta say I'm surprised that you called me out, considering how you left and all." said that very person. Naruto had his eyes on the man walking towards him, without showing the slightest sign of a friendly greeting even though he was the one Naruto was waiting for. Even though it had been a month or two since they last met, he was sure both of them still had bruises that were purely a result of the other person's actions. "Heh, but it's not like you're going to apologise for something like that, right?"

Naruto treated Jiraiya unsmilingly, even against the cocky grin that the old man wore. He could tell that Konoha's legendary sage knew why he had been asked to come here, even if it was only to an extent. "Even though you say that, you got here pretty quickly right?" he responded, his hands subconsciously balling up into fists even as he spoke. This was the first time he had looked at Jiraiya through his Nehangan, and to his unsettlement he came to find that this person was really so much stronger than he had worked out from their previous matches. "You had to have either been pretty close, or a lot more desperate than you're acting right now."

Jiraiya came to a stop not at these words, but at Naruto's expression. The smile slid from his face as he knew there would be no reconciliation here, but even more so when he caught sight of Naruto's fierce yellow eyes. "Is that Sage Mode?" the old man demanded, narrowing his eyes to study them further. He was allowed his moment to look them over, but when he concluded that he was wrong he was by no means happier. "What are those eyes? I've never seen a Doujutsu like that, and even then not in your bloodline!"

"Hahahahahahaha…" Naruto chuckled, allowing his head to droop down and an evil grin to appear on his face. That was right, Jiraiya knew the truth about his heritage. Naruto knew a little of it as well, but not enough to properly understand just where it was that he had come from. "Yeah, I'm a hybrid of the Uzumaki clan and you're Yondaime Hokage, aren't I? And you say that these eyes don't belong to either of them then? I guess that settles it after all."

The expressions of the two men standing here had quickly taken a turn around, as Naruto grinned at the foul faced Jiraiya. The sage didn't particularly like the way Naruto referred to himself as a hybrid, more because of the implications it had on that boy's parents. "It's hard to believe that two such bright flames could produce something as dark as this." he said, his face coming to match his insult. "Have you made your decision yet, which way you want to go?"

Naruto forced himself to stop his cruel glee, and forced it down to a mere smirk. From the looks of things Jiraiya had come to his own conclusion about what Naruto had chosen, judging by the way he spoke. In the eyes of this sannin, Naruto was fairly certain he was being seen as the person who aimed destruction at the world. "Know that darkness the old frog was talking about?" he asked, letting Jiraiya's imagination do all the emphasising he needed. "It found me, and gave me these eyes. Got any idea what that means?"

Once again a prime example of role reversal was displayed, as Jiraiya's hands tightened into fists. His mental and physical energies were radiating fiercely, the way only granted to those who intended to go all out in a battle that wouldn't end until someone had died. This was what Naruto was allowed to see with the gift he had been given, and so in return he decided to give Jiraiya something equally powerful, with a grin that displayed all his razor sharp teeth.

"I'm gonna be the bastard that brings peace to this damn world!"


	24. The sting of the scorpion is sweeter

Damn it this chapter came out too late... I had no idea what I was gonna do with the Gaara Sasori thing. Well it's done, and hopefully satisfactory. I guess I'll explain one little thing in case some of you don't understand. I believe that gas attacks can pass through Gaara's defence because they have neither physical force or chakra for the Shukaku to pick up on. Hence the reason that Sasori's grenade succeeded. For future reference, if there are any points I think need explaining, or I'm notified of the need to explain, I'll do it here.

* * *

**The sting of the scorpion is sweeter than I imagined**

A strange battle was fought between the two Shinobi formerly from the village hidden in the sand. Gaara stayed in the light of the workshop, never allowed to leave in spite of all his efforts. Sasori clung to the darkness, managing to repel his opponent with a razor sharp weapon that curved from the shadows and struck with such force that even the shield of sand was struggling to maintain itself unaided. Gaara was forced to meet this weapon with blunt force, as using his sand in any other way was much too difficult when he couldn't locate his opponent.

He was loathe to admit it, but Gaara had already been put into a tight corner. The reason was nothing to do with Sasori's combat strength, but an impeccable strategy that not even Gaara could have predetermined. He had to wonder just how much the Akatsuki knew of the Jinchuuriki's abilities for them to be able to prepare like this. It soon became clear to him that he would not be able to win this fight simply by going all out. Yet at the same time, he could feel the poison in his lungs doing its slow job.

"_Weakening my senses, affecting my breathing in this already thin atmosphere…" _he thought, as he leapt back and threw his hands out. His shield of sand shattered into countless tiny pieces, before firing off into the shadows at a rock crushing pace. He could hear the sound of the sand striking something hard, but couldn't tell if it was Sasori or the workbenches placed around. _"In this environment I cannot create more sand… and no amount of brute force in my possession will allow me to break through the ceiling. He seems adamant to keep me here long enough for his poison to take effect."_

Whatever it was that was inside him was strong, worsened by the fact he had never experienced something like this before. His insides were burning with a flaming hot spice he had never before felt, giving him the constant forewarning of a melting regurgitation. This heat was also getting to his vision, blurring and contorting whatever he saw. He perished to think just what would happen if he didn't take care of it, or even if his dampened capabilities caused him to lose this fight. Of course, the latter thought was simply given word to as a way of keeping from arrogance. But in truth, this was a new kind of suffering.

He couldn't handle it; as full of energy and vitality as he was, all he could bring himself to desire right now was release from what he was going through. Leaping back he threw his hands out, and his gourd dispersed in a wave that left a trail of sand tracking from his feet to the shadows. _"Sand Waterfall Suspension!"_ he thought, curling his outstretched fingers to grasp the air. The trail of sand picked up rapidly, throwing itself into the shadows as if it were a real river flowing through a rapid current. Sasori was probably on the defensive from this, waiting to see what Gaara would do. Unfortunately for him, that was a mistake. _"Gathering of Sand!"_

From inside the darkness Sasori waited, doing the very thing he hated most. He couldn't see the sand from this place, but as long as he was here Gaara couldn't locate him. All he needed to do was rush the process of the poison by making Gaara exert himself, something which his target was making very easy for him. He crouched down for a moment as he decided to antagonise Gaara further, but in doing so found something that forced him to freeze. _"No… it couldn't be!" _he thought, as his body started twitching and shuddering in effort. It looked like he was having difficulty moving, every attempt triggering an unpleasant grinding sound. _"Is he using that strategy? No… but even if he isn't-"_

"Sabaku Kyuu!"

Sasori's eyes widened in shock as sand floating in the air converged on his position, completely obscuring everything that he was. From the light Gaara needed not even to see this, for his sand had done the searching for him. After just a moment he could feel his target completely covered in his weapon, and was then ready to finish things now. "Sabaku Sousou!" he called again, making sure not to apply too much pressure. But the effect was the same; the sand gripping Sasori compacted closer than his body could handle, and as a result triggered an ear splitting crack as the Jutsu did its job.

_Wharmf!_

Gaara's eyes narrowed as the lights were suddenly turned back on, and the whole room was given back its visage. That was enough to tell him what his eyes almost deceived him into believing. Even though Sasori's body lay broken on the floor, all that body seemed to be was a shattered shell with nothing inside it. If that hadn't been enough to convince him, the figure that rose up from behind it certainly did the job. A new figure had appeared from the "corpse" of Sasori, like some sort of demented butterfly.

"I have to say I'm surprise, that sand of yours is a lot more… versatile than I… imagined." said a young man wearing the cloak of Akatsuki. This person looked around the same age as Gaara, and even had a somewhat similar appearance. They both shared a shock of red hair kept short and messy, and were even close to the same height. However where Gaara's look was ever stoic, this person wore a slight smile and a pair of the calmest brown eyes Gaara had ever seen. "To think you could so easily break Hiruko… it looks like I'll need to be more careful."

Gaara narrowed his eyes, and pulled his sand slowly back around him. There was something strange about this person, something hard looking about his face. "So you are the real Sasori then?" he asked, rhetorically. He doubted after all that the real Sasori was that puppet on the ground, but at the same time the person he looked at now was nowhere near his late thirties, as Akasuna no Sasori ought to be. "So that thing was just a suit of armour. In other words a necessary defence."

His obvious jab was ignored by its target as the puppet master turned his wrist. From his sleeve dropped a scroll which was grabbed easily, immediately drawing forth Gaara's attention. "Well why don't we get down to real reason why we're here?" Sasori asked, his look of amusement emphasised in some strange, ominous manner. He lifted the scroll and displayed it to Gaara, slowly unfurling it for the Ichibi Jinchuuriki to see. "It might surprise you, but I requested to make you my target for the very purpose of testing a little something out."

The odd words he spoke were given answer to by the cloud of smoke that burst from the scroll he held. This cloud enveloped him completely, and for a moment Gaara was led to believe that this was another distraction. Yet the truth was revealed just a moment later, when the smoke faded away to reveal what was beneath. A large and skinny puppet was draped over Sasori's shoulders, a depiction of a man with thin eyes and long spiky black hair. The cloak with the fur lined neck was a peculiar touch, though most probably existed to hide whatever weapons were hidden inside. Gaara well understood these tricks, considering his own brother practiced this style of Jutsu.

"Even though this is the pride of my collection, it looks like you don't recognise it in the slightest." Sasori mused, with his hands spread out wide in the puppeteer's style. Though the strings of chakra were invisible, again Gaara's past experience told him that Sasori was primed to begin at any moment. "Perhaps you were too young to remember the Sandaime Kazekage? Well considering his power, you should probably look at this as a late introduction."

He then revealed the habit of impatience that he had already made very clear, by making his move without giving Gaara time to process this information. The mouth of his puppet snapped open, and from it a thick grey mist began to protrude with a sound like grains falling through a vast hourglass. This was the power of the Sandaime Kazekage, the Satetsu. A lethal combination of magnetic chakra and iron powder to create an offspring technique. It was this method that Sasori wished to test against the person containing the beast with whom this Jutsu gained inspiration from.

Gaara however paid little attention to any of this, his eyes staring upon the Sandaime's face with a bitter look. Whether the Akatsuki man had been right in his assessment of Gaara's knowledge regarding Suna's history was unknown, but there was no mystery to the feelings welling up in Gaara right now. "So this is the Sandaime Kazekage?" he murmured, speaking partially to himself. His ice cold eyes turned from the puppet to Sasori, and dealt him the same look the lifeless object had just been given. "So in other words the reason for the Sandaime's disappearance was you… the reason my father became the Yondaime was you… the reason I am the Ichibi Jinchuuriki… is _you_."

Sasori's lips pouted slightly in a look of curious enjoyment at the display taking place before him. After a moment to consider the accusation sent his way, he let out a chuckle that caused him to bow his head. "That's quite a deranged way of looking at things." he commented, lifting his head just enough to see Gaara's expression. "If you wanna think like that then you should blame the elders of Suna for raising their Shinobi into what they become. Or maybe you should hate the Daimyo for not having enough faith in Suna, therefore necessitating that the Yondaime create Suna's "perfect weapon". But still, if you wanna think like that then be my guest… I'm getting tired of waiting anyway."

His sentiments were shared with the person standing before them, as both his puppet and Gaara lifted their weapons into the air. The dark sand of the Kazekage gathered as wings behind his back, while Gaara's coiled around him like a still mist. This was what Sasori wanted, and what Gaara was slowly craving. The sand drifted past his eyes, and his pupils shrank just a little. With the thin veins growing ever so slightly visible, the tint of madness became clear.

_Crack._

* * *

Naruto descended from high above, pivoting through the air to descend hard. His blade was missing from his person, placed aside somewhere a while back. He attacked only with what his own body provided; his Taijutsu and his Ninjutsu. Using his sword was not an option on this occasion, as his reason for fighting was not to demonstrate his Kenjutsu skills. No, the reason for this powerful display was with another, more obscure intention.

He just missed Jiraiya as he reached the ground, but didn't let himself get caught up in the old man's parry. He replaced his Jutsu with a handstand-turned-backflip that closed the distance his opponent was trying to make. Jiraiya blocked a spinning kick with both his hands, but had to duck to dodge the one Naruto gave with his second leg. This however was a bad move, as Naruto used his position to launch a Reppushou straight into Jiraiya's crouching body. The force of this attack was enough to propel Naruto several metres back into the air, and certainly enough to deal bone crushing damage.

"Katon: Endan!"

Naruto gritted his teeth as from the shadows a huge amount of fire burst forth. From where he was it was impossible to dodge; he was on a beeline trajectory for it. However in spite of his elemental disadvantage, he defended himself with a second Reppushou. The impact of Katon and Fuuton chakra had an immediate effect, and triggered an explosion that knocked Naruto off trajectory and straight into the Jiraiya he had attacked. His fall was softened as what he had believed to be his target turned out to be a mud clone. Though he was quite a mess, at least he hadn't gotten burned.

The fire that had flown at Naruto had been forcibly dispersed by the counter, but for some strange reason wasn't put out. Instead it scattered around, as if it had some physical weight, and continued to burn on the grass and trees. These smouldering flames were spreading fast, burning the dry terrain and turning everything that was green a fierce orange. From the midst of these flames stepped out the real Jiraiya, who with but a single hand sign made the ground before him erupt and scatter mud everywhere. With the flames doused he stepped forward, a look like stone on his face.

He was barely given a moment to remain still however, as Naruto barrelled straight at him with taught hands. Chakra whirled around his extremities at a speed that caused the air to shimmer, creating the illusion that his hands were meagre mirages created to fool the enemy. However Jiraiya was loathe to test just how real that alleged illusion was, as was seen by his hasty back steps. Forced to form a rapid defence, yet having no room to form hand seals, he found an opening enough to drive his palm through a gap in Naruto's arms. The base of his hand struck Naruto's chin hard, and sent to boy sailing back into the glade.

"I don't understand just what's going on here." Jiraiya said, stepping out from the trees and away from the shadows. Even as he spoke Naruto continued to roll, caught in a daze from the blow to the head. He waited for the boy to come to a stop and get to his feet, allowing him a moment further to shake off his momentary delirium. "You just say you want to bring peace, then all of a sudden you attack? If I'm missing something I'd appreciate it if you filled me in."

Naruto blinked the last of the swirling stars out of his vision, and spat some blood out of his mouth. He had known this would be a tough fight, and was prepared to take a few bruises. But it had been the talking he was most wary of. After all, it was because of this person that he was in this mess, the reason he had these eyes and also the one responsible for him learning of the toad's prophecy. "I don't really have a reason to settle on." he replied, wiping the thin trail of red that dripped down the side of his lip. One of the foremost reasons was simply revenge for what happened back in Nami, but that wasn't the one he wanted to go with. "I've decided on the path I want to walk, but I'm not ready to do that yet. There's something I need to gain first, and I _know_ you know what it is."

The stare held between the two of them was strong, serious and constant. Both knew just what the other person was thinking, for it was along the lines of what they themselves were thinking too. Jiraiya's lip gained a slight curl that coincided with Naruto's accusing eyes, furthering the friction grinding from their bodies. "So you think you can bring peace with the power of the Kyuubi?" Jiraiya rhetorically asked, while lowering his stance. Naruto mimicked this movement, down to the severe expression that Jiraiya was now wearing. "To use a tool of war can only bring about more war. If you want me to seriously believe otherwise, then we'll have to get serious. Show me how far you are willing to go."

To demonstrate just what he was getting at, Jiraiya held his hand off to the side. Naruto watched suspiciously as the air around the Sannin's palm began to quiver and shake, before spinning around at an increasing speed. Then, amazingly, pure chakra began to appear in the form of a sphere spiralling insanely, a perfect orb of pure chakra. This was a sort of Jutsu Naruto had never seen at such a level before; a physical technique with absolutely no elemental manipulation, completely shape.

To say he was impressed was something, but not speechless. If this was the technique Jiraiya was going for, he knew exactly what he was going to use in contrast to it. Though he felt slight embarrassment at the need to use seals when Jiraiya didn't, he had little choice. Bringing his hands together, he formed the seals for the Jutsu he had only recently perfected. He got through them quickly however, before pulling his left arm back. _"Here we go… finally someone to test it on."_

Slowly, chakra gathered around his forearm, whipping around the air like a calm cyclone. But the quietness was quick to end, as the cyclone increased in speed to the point where even a whistling sound could be heard. After just a few more seconds, the rotating chakra formed a perfect cone, ever spinning at a speed that would surely break rocks. This alone would be an impressive feat, if the chakra were visible. It wasn't until Naruto altered the chakra however, that that happened. There it gained it's true form; a glowing white tornado of ripping wind, howling from where it was as if desperate to lunge forward.

Giving the Jutsu no time to slow down, Naruto burst forward at a phenomenal speed. Across from him Jiraiya did the same, holding his sphere back as Naruto did with his own technique. The ground between them was erased effortlessly, their looks of intensity growing with each fleeting moment. Soon the two had reached each other, and were throwing their arms out with all the force they could muster.

"RASENGAN!"

"SHIROKEN!"

* * *

"This is getting nowhere."

Sasori frowned as Gaara suddenly stopped the collisions of sand, giving nothing to resist the Kazekage's Iron Sand from breaking through. The giant mass of black grit formed together and struck Gaara, the shield of sand holding up just enough to cushion the blow. To Sasori's shock however Gaara neither dodged the blow nor let himself get struck by it. Instead he actually _grabbed onto_ the solid mass, pressing his hands tight against it. He was pushed back several metres, but didn't let himself fall for a moment.

"_What is he doing?"_ Sasori thought, giving the slightest twitch of his fingers. The iron sand softened just enough to pull Gaara in a little, before trapping the Ichibi Jinchuuriki just sufficiently so that it could pull the rest of him in. Gaara had clear signs of resisting, and even managed to send his own sand out to attack the Kazekage. But a second twitch of the puppet master's fingers was all that was needed to render that attempt a miss. _"Well I guess it doesn't matter. I'll hold him in here until he passes out… looks like this is-"_

Before he could finish his thought, he was treated to a sight that was most unusual to him. Gaara's sand, which had been left lying on the floor with its wielder incapacitated, moved oddly towards the iron sand. For security purposes Sasori tightened the iron sand into a sphere, which proved to be a good idea. Gaara's sand moved across the iron sand, enveloping it completely in a matter of seconds. Though Sasori was amazed Gaara could manage this much, he failed to see what worth it had.

That was until the sand began to change however. When black lines began to appear across the surface, twisting and contorting like water, Sasori was forced to acknowledge that something beyond his understanding was going on right now. He leered as that strange design completed itself across the sphere, but his eyes widened when that very thing seemed to contract suddenly. A loud, dull tone cast out as the sphere shrunk slightly in size, as if Gaara was using his own Sand Waterfall Funeral on himself. But predictably, Sasori couldn't bring himself to believe that.

"_He must be tapping into the power of the Ichibi no Shukaku…" _he told himself, as the contractions came to a slow end. He knew that when it came to the power of the Bijuu he was as well as any villager in terms of understanding. All he knew of the Shukaku's power had already been displayed to him. Anything else would be given out with only the purest of speculation. _"Does this mean he intended to get caught by the Satetsu right from the very beginning?"_

This train of thought was disrupted abruptly as the sphere of sand moved once again. But rather than convulse as it had done before, it began to disintegrate into a pool on the floor. It looked as if Gaara was no longer able to maintain his sand, but Sasori wasn't pleased with that. The reason for his distaste was because Gaara's sand wasn't the only sand that was falling to the ground. The iron sand too was losing its form, like the Kazekage no longer obeyed Sasori's command.

"_Has the Satetsu lost it's power?"_ he thought, taking a few careful steps back. He couldn't understand what was going on, but that wasn't for a lack of trying. All the information he had on Gaara was thrown through his mind as he desperately sought answers, but nothing of which Zetsu told him coincided with what he was seeing here. _"It has to be… he's using the Ichibi's power to demagnetise the iron… but then that means…"_

He stopped himself before he reached his conclusion. Before his very eyes something was taking form from the iron sand. This was not something he had ever created with the Kazekage's power, this was something totally alien to him. A creature was being formed, that of something similar to a beast greatly feared in Sunagakure's history. It took him a few moments to realise what he was seeing, but even when he did he couldn't quite believe it. It was the Shukaku. A small, black Shukaku.

Even as he realised this, he found that he had been watching his opponent for much too long. The tanuki like monster had landed on all fours, pushing the iron sand on the floor back and causing it to form a long and serrated tail. This beast leered at Sasori with golden eyes, its lips splitting apart into jagged fangs. It leapt through the air without a hint of warning, throwing its immense weight straight in Sasori's direction.

"_Son of a bitch!"_ the puppet master thought, as he disdainfully discovered that the Kazekage had _no_ control over that iron sand. The only explanation was that the Ichibi's chakra was interfering with the Kazekage's, stopping it from having the desired effect. But even though the iron sand couldn't help him now, he wasn't without options. His most valued puppet moved before him, and threw out its arm. _"It's not over yet!"_

The Kazekage's wooden arm split open at several places, revealing compartments marked with seals. From these seals emerged an immense number of spare arms, which grew from those places and flew at the dark Shukaku with the full intent of stopping it in its track. Though they weren't strong enough to break through the iron sand, the certainly did the job of forcing it to come to a halt. There Sasori could follow up with his next move, one he wasn't keen on using.

"I hadn't thought the Kazekage would be made redundant so easily." he said, with a flicker of annoyance. He looked the mini Shukaku straight in the eye, and knew that behind those orbs an insane person was in control. The Kazekage fell to the ground as Sasori released control, reaching for the collar of his cloak bitterly. "But if I have to fight _against_ the iron sand, then I have no choice but to take part in this fight personally… this is annoying."

With a flourish he discarded his cloak, his eyes widening to their fullest extent in the process. As the black sky and red clouds fluttered to the ground, another puppet appeared beneath what it had once hidden. Sasori couldn't possibly human, not with that black cable resting where his stomach ought to have been. The drum like thing where his heart should be, the doll like joints all over his body, and the lethal looking blades on his back. There was no doubt that what stood there couldn't rightfully be called human anymore.

This living puppet, if that was what it truly was, lifted its hands to face the still trapped Shukaku, which was writhing in an attempt to break free of its bonds. Small tubes protruded from Sasori's palms, tubes that instantly released an intense wave of fire upon the wooden prison and its captive. The Ichibi cried out as the iron sand grew incredibly hot, to the point where soon it would melt and join together. There was no way Gaara could resist an attack like this; soon he would broil and-

"What a one track mind."

The jet fire came to a quick stop as Sasori let out a surprised shudder. His eyes fell down to his chest, expressing genuine shock in seeing the spike of sand protruding from the seal on his container. His shaky head lifted to look behind him, where he was further shocked to see Gaara right behind him. "… You were never… inside… to begin with." Sasori breathed, his frozen face still managing to look hateful. He wasn't the only one however, Gaara's expression was much more terrifying than Sasori could _ever_ attain as he was. "I… underestimated you."

"Tell me what Akatsuki intends to do with the Jinchuuriki, to turn on us like this."

Sasori stared at Gaara for a moment, before his trembling head began to twist forward. A faint smile appeared on his lips, which had began to let loose a small trail of blood dripping down his chin. It seemed that already he had accepted his defeat. "For you to fool me so easily… so quickly… I suppose I can tell you that much." he said, as the sand piercing his sole remaining organs became stained with his blood. "Though I can't… say I fully… understand… it seems… we have returned to… plan A… seal… the… Bijuu…"

Gaara gave Sasori a few seconds to say more. But after a while it appeared the puppet master would never speak again. Releasing his grip on the sand, Sasori fell to the ground in a heap. Gaara didn't give him a second look as he passed, nor to the disintegrating black Shukaku. The flames in this low pressure room were making things unbearable, but the poison in his system was so much worse. He had to get out and get clear air; it was possible that if he could focus then he could recreate Naruto's healing-

"Hey… Gaara…"

He came to a stop just as he reached the doors, but was reluctant to do much else. His eyes turned down to his left, where Kankurou and Temari still lay. He wasn't naïve; neither of them were wearing gas masks. Both of them had inhaled what was supposed to be for him. Where he had a chance; he couldn't say the same for those two. But with that in mind, he found one question floating to his mind, one that he couldn't leave unanswered. "Why did you do that?" he asked, his green eyes settled on Kankurou's dark ones. Even under all that face paint he could still see the resemblance to his father, and knew that if it was that person and not his brother, Gaara would probably be dead. "You had no reason to."

"Heh, you're not even gonna thank me?" Kankurou chuckled, a painful grin appearing on his face. The sweat that dripped down his skin caused his face paint to bleed, staining his cheeks with an opaque violet mix. The pressure of both the atmosphere and his situation was clearly great. For him to put on such a brave face really was admirable. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, that was never like you… I dunno why I did it, before I could think that far it was already done y'know?"

Gaara had nothing to say to that, nothing he could really think of. Kankurou strained his neck to his right, looking at the sleep like face of Temari with an almost envious expression. "Looks like she's gone on ahead." he murmured, his brave face cracking in the heat. Gaara glanced over to his elder sister; she was still breathing, but those breaths were slow and bated. "She never needed to worry about situations like this… I guess we messed up huh?"

"How long are you going to be melodramatic?" Gaara asked, knowing nothing other than foul things to say at this time. Even though he had never particularly cared for these two, it was shaming to see them in such a state. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do about it, but this unsettled feeling he had was going nowhere. "If there's something you want from me, hurry up and spit it out."

He waited to listen to his elder brother's answer, remaining silent as Kankurou whispered his reply. He paused for a moment to consider the request, before giving the smallest of nods. Though he wasn't at his strongest right now, he stepped between his elder siblings and hauled them both up to their feet, before making his way to the door. With a slight wave of his hand, the sand forced itself between the doors and prised them apart. The three of them were heading to the surface.

* * *

The sunlight drafted down from the windows of the shack, scattering light through the unkempt abode. Stone, wood and dust were collective in this small place, but for a time like this it was enough. Gaara lowered his two siblings onto the mats already set out, being careful for their sake. Then he turned around and closed the cellar door, cutting off access to what would otherwise have been Kankurou and Temari's steel coffin. But as he crouched there with his hand against the wooden frame, even he was reduced to heavy breaths and a sweating brow. He was beginning to doubt whether he could repair the damage that had been done to him.

Once again he was forced to respect Kankurou, who was still conscious even though he had been in possession of no gas mask. With this thought Gaara untied the one he had been given, and looked at it despondently. Kankurou had chosen to aid Gaara, even at the cost of his own life. Though his older brother had shrugged it off like it was nothing, Gaara couldn't look at it the same way. He was filled with a feeling of discomfort, knowing that there was little to nothing he could do in return.

"Hey… finish it will ya?"

Gaara looked over his shoulder, his widened eyes fixing themselves on Kankurou's hood. Even through the light hearted tone his brother was clearly forcing, there was no confusion to be made about that request. He moved over from the cellar towards his two siblings, looking at their upside down heads with as little feeling in his face as he could manage. Kankurou had closed his eyes in anticipation of his request being fulfilled. He was sure Gaara had no qualms with doing it, and probably had thought like that for a long time. He wasn't wrong. Gaara lifted his hands, pointing them straight down at his brother and sister. Sand crawled down his arms and enveloped them, forming a pair of razor sharp blades. He tensed himself, ready to fulfil their last request, when all of a sudden Temari spoke.

"Wait… over there."

Gaara paused at her request, his brow furrowing as Temari's hand lazily drifted to her right. He followed her hand to where it was pointing, spotting a wooden cabinet at the side of the room. The sand on his arms blew away as he struggled to his feet, stumbling towards that cabinet with ragged breathing. He lifted his hand and pulled open the flimsy door, staring at the contents inside. After a moment he turned his head back, realising that both Temari and Kankurou were also looking in the cupboard, the former in pain while the latter smirked.

"For once I'm glad… that you got the last word."


	25. The sky lights up with an amber warning

Damn it, this chapter was so close to getting released on time. Still, I think compared to recent ones this will give the oomph that will really get you guys wild. Alright, explaino time. The attack Naruto used against Jiraiya, the Shiroken, is the A ranked jutsu he has been developing since the start of part 2. For those of you with good memories, you'd know that I changed the name. Figured Kazemori (wind lance) sounded to close to Chidori, and considering it was going against the Rasengan I didn't wanna do that. Hence Shiroken, which translates as "White Sabre". I think it's cooler, but kinda reminds me of a certain Street Fighter guy... damn Ryu!

**

* * *

**

The sky lights up with an amber warning

Naruto was hard at work, both at the village and in training. He had created another Kage Bunshin to take care of things in Keishi, but not before doing some heavy explaining to Fuu and Yagura. Neither of them had believed his excuse that he had just gone out for training until he demonstrated the results. Yagura was still in a bad mood about being used as the dummy for that little show, but it had done the job. He had been warned not to overdo it, and was left to do as he pleased in that regard.

Of course, that didn't lighten his load in the slightest. If not for the fact that Yagura had already known the Jutsu Naruto displayed to be previously incomplete, he was sure he would not have been allowed out on his own. But the truth was that even though the Jutsu was incomplete back then, he _had_ completed it prior to that day. The true events however were ongoing even now, in that same place just a couple of miles from Keishi's eyes.

It was a battle, but not of the kind Naruto felt at home in. This sort of fight was the kind he often preferred to leave to the more eloquent of his comrades, like Gaara for example. This was a battle of words, an argument between himself and Jiraiya that had been continuing for many days, amongst other actions that Naruto _definitely_ wanted no one to learn of. And like each of those days so far, he felt sure he was going to win this time around.

"Look I don't _care_ about any of this "Will of Fire" stuff; I ain't a Konoha ninja so it doesn't mean anything to me!" he declared, gesturing his emphasis with his hands. It had been a while since he had been able to sit still, even longer since he had been calm. The past three days had all come about exactly the same way, with Jiraiya speaking of philosophies that were totally meaningless to Naruto. "If that place is really built on that belief, then I could never follow it!"

"Stop letting your hatred for Konoha get in the way of doing what is right!" Jiraiya countered, from his position on the smooth stump of a former tree. He wasn't exactly calm either, but years of experience allowed him to keep from doing unnecessary things. It was that very same experience that he put into practice now, all for the sake of proving to Naruto that there was fault in his way of thinking. "If all you let yourself see is the bitterness, then all you can feel is disdain! Those feelings will only create more, and all that will change is that the hatred will grow!"

"And what the hell is gonna change if we don't do anything about it?" Naruto demanded, rejecting Jiraiya's idea full on. His voice had sent what few birds remained in the trees flying off, signifying the growing hatred that Jiraiya spoke of. But Naruto of course held no interest to this; he didn't even notice the birds in the first place. "You've said yourself you don't have any idea what we have to do to bring peace; well I got a hell of an idea! Let everyone know what it feels like to be at war, all the cost that comes with it! In war, all the people know is that their side is right! I say we break down that wall and let everyone know that when it comes to war, _everyone_ is the bad guy!"

Jiraiya stared hard at Naruto, silently wondering if this boy really had the right to say such things. But the bandage around his right hand was a sore reminder that he had failed that battle back there. _"If not for the Rasengan, he would have taken my entire arm off." _he thought, as the hole in his palm continued to burn. If not for some very handy healing balms he felt sure he wouldn't be able to remain here. Realising this, he let out a sigh and rose to his feet as he came to a decision of which he already knew the response. "We've been talking too long; it's time to get to training."

As expected, Naruto wasn't totally happy to hear that. His already foul expression was accented with a curled lip as he saw completely through what Jiraiya's true thoughts were. "Funny how you always come out with that whenever I say something you know you can't deny." he muttered under his breath. This had become a recurring pattern, like Jiraiya wasn't sure just what he wanted to say back to Naruto, or if he even _had_ anything to say. "You pissed because the "chosen one" doesn't share your ideals?"

Jiraiya had to flinch to that, unwillingly giving Naruto great satisfaction. He hated to admit that Naruto was right, but he had pretty much hit the nail right on the head with that remark. "You say you want to walk the path of peace, but that doesn't mean you really will." he said, with a sort of frankness that couldn't frustrate even the easily aggravated person before him. "But if your idea of peace comes at the cost of great pain, then what you're doing is destroying this world in favour of another. That's not creating peace, that's starting from scratch."

"Do you really think this world can be saved?"

That question forced the old ninja to meet the younger one's gaze, bewilderment becoming everything of his face. Naruto was looking at him not with anger or mistrust, but something of someone lost in a sea of heads, uncertain of which one would lead him on the path he wanted to walk. "If there's something out there that has the power to completely change a person's future without them even knowing it, and that power wants to destroy this world, what the hell are we supposed to do to stop it?" he asked, taking on an unusually meek tone. But that tone lasted for only a moment, before his previous sharp look came back with a vengeance. "Before I even look for peace, I have to do something about _that_ first."

As the wind whistled between the two men, Jiraiya found that he couldn't see Naruto as a boy right now. What he saw instead was a man, a man with a heavy burden that he refused to lighten through any means. For someone looking like that, even if it was him Jiraiya could not look without a feeling of great respect. _"That thing he's talking about… isn't it destiny?"_ he wondered, allowing himself another moment of philosophy before offering Naruto an answer. With that answer, he couldn't help giving a small smirk in response. "Looks like you're thinking like a grown up now… well if that's the case, why are we still talking?"

* * *

The light cast across Gaara's face, searing the back of his pitch black eyelids. He groaned as he shielded himself with the back of his hand, having half a mind to take care of that damn sun for disturbing something he very rarely had; a good rest. But what stopped him from continuing that hazardous thought was the basis for said thought. Though he felt that his rest had been a better one than what he could compare it to, he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

"Guess it figures he'd be the one who's down the longest."

Gaara squinted with one eye as he looked somewhere above his head, to the place where that voice had come from. Both Kankurou and Temari sat against the wall of the shack, both looking almost as haggard as Gaara _always_ did. It was clear to see that neither of them had rested well, and with good reason. But nonetheless Kankurou was looking at Gaara with a grin, his hood pulled down and his face paint wiped off.

"You've been asleep for a couple of days." Temari said, her voice low and a little weak. She didn't look at Gaara, but he could see from her eyes that she wasn't her usual self. It didn't help the unsettled feelings of her younger brother, who had never seen her with such an expression before. Even Kankurou seemed a little wary of it, as if he would much rather see her be her snide, cold self than what she was now. "Does that mean… does the Shukaku still…?"

Her trailed off question hung in the air just like the heat. It caused Kankurou's smirk to slip and Gaara's eyes to turn to the ceiling, as now none of them were able to look at each other. However just a for a brief moment, as Gaara sat himself up, he felt both of his elder siblings' attention briefly flicker back to him. "The Shukaku is completely under my power now." he said, looking out through the open door to the desert beyond. He remembered the time when he could say no such thing, and sought only to kill the people who most wanted to live. He also recalled that back then everyone, including Kankurou and Temari, lived in constant fear of him. "My mind is clear and unaffected by him… he is my pet."

Even though Kankurou and Temari remained silent, Gaara could tell they had relaxed just a little. Sleep always resulted in bad things when it came to him, at least that was the case in the past. He could hardly be surprised that they were still a little tense, he was the same. But that aside, he could see that his brother and sister were now fine. Getting to his feet he made his way to the door, seeing no more reason to stay.

"Wait… Gaara." Temari called, struggling to her feet. Gaara paused in the doorway, but didn't allow his sister even a fleeting glance. She could see he was waiting only as a courtesy; that cold gap between them could not possibly have been filled by the last few days alone. Even though she knew this, she couldn't just let him leave in this manner, for more reasons than one. "Suna sent us out to find you… we can't return unless you come with us. Won't you-"

"Don't waste your breath."

Almost following his order to the letter, Temari sharply inhaled from Gaara's response. He looked out into the broad desert, the smell in the air telling him that the sea was somewhere behind. Looking around, he remembered one very important thing he had heard long ago. "The wind has changed much of the desert, it almost looks like a different place." he said, in memory of the one lesson he learned in class that had always stayed with him. "But no matter how you look at it, it's still a desert. Though its appearance has changed, what it is will always be."

Both Temari and Kankurou knew that of which he spoke, the tale that taught the Genin of Suna to be prepared for any changes to the situation. Neither of them had imagined though that Gaara had interpreted it on a whole other level, never mind countering it like that. As a result they couldn't be sure just what it was that he was trying to say, until he turned his head to look back at them both.

"I love only myself and fight only for myself… get in my way… and I'll _kill_ _you_."

* * *

Two shadows flitted under the cover of the trees, making a stealthy approach to a place filled with small green mountains. These two were wasting no time in heading to some specific area, their movements were far too direct to suggest a random search. They were on the trail of a certain someone who was supposed to be in this area, someone who they believed was doing things that he really shouldn't be doing. His word was finally being put to the test, as Yagura and Fuu moved in to see for themselves.

The former Mizukage pressed his back against bark, reaching out with his hand to signal at his eager apprentice. The two of them were standing many metres above the ground, listening closely to the goings on just behind them. There was something odd up there, something that they couldn't quite determine just yet. It was like the air was trembling, but there was nothing to indicate a single reason for it. With this ominous thought, the two moved in even closer.

"_Wait_!" Yagura hissed, suddenly throwing his arm out to Fuu. He had just realised that had they gotten any closer, their presence would have most definitely been revealed. Not only that, but the reason for the dark air had now become clear, even if it didn't make a whole lot of sense. Even Yagura, with all the experience he had, couldn't comprehend the scene lying just before him.

A hundred Naruto's sat rigid in a glade, their legs in a meditative position. The mass of men were absolutely still, their hands gripped together in the ram seal. Each of them were like statues, but not in the sense of being motionless. All the clones, and possibly the original, looked as cold as stone, like all the life had been drained from them. However, that was not the worst of it. What was unarguably the worst was that each and every copy had fierce red eyes; the mark of the Kyuubi's influence.

Though Fuu couldn't say just what she was looking at, Yagura certainly could. And it was for that reason which he couldn't stay back. "That _moron_!" he cursed, before throwing himself through the trees. He cared not about whether he was seen, for right now he knew that there was a disaster about to occur. If Naruto was allowed to do as he pleased, the Kyuubi no Yoko would be unleashed without restraint. _"Looks like there's only one way he can understand why this power is too dangerous!"_

The one hundred Naruto's lifted their heads suddenly, all looking in the same direction as noise filled their ears. Before any of them could comprehend what was happening however, more than half of them were blasted away by a massive white sphere that broke the very earth apart. Of the original number, less than thirty Kage Bunshin went soaring through the air, their concentration disrupted and the Kyuubi's power released. However as Yagura landed on the ground, he was left unworried about this. The reason was that like the Naruto's, he too was shrouded in a cloak of pure chakra.

"Yagura-kun!" Fuu called out in shock, as she saw her favourite person become obscured by that which enwrapped him. Two long tails of chakra were protruding from the mist; for just a moment Yagura appeared as a horned devil. Fuu clung onto the tree she hid behind, wondering what it was that she was about to witness. _"Sh-should I try and stop them?"_

Such an option however became much less desirable as the earth began undergoing a relentless transformation brought on by the assaulting Naruto's. Gusts of wind brought on solely by the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's power caused the trees to bend away from the dramatic scene. Dust clouds were already being thrown into the air by cataclysmic concaves caused by the two monstrous men. Yet in spite of the endless assaults that came from the Naruto's, Yagura was managing to hold his own.

"_They can only access the initial state when their numbers are this many."_ he thought to himself, as he sailed through the air with his twin tails stretching like fierce whips. The chakra around him had already formed into a turtle like beast, with his head situated between a pair of jaw like things. If he released any more chakra, then physical aspects would start appearing. Though those aspects were powerful, they hurt like hell, hence his reluctance to go ahead with it. _"But if I take them out one at a time that'll only allow the others to grow steadily stronger. I have to take them all out in one shot, or things will get _really_ bad, _really_ fast."_

With these thoughts in mind he opened his mouth wide, the jaws of chakra widening with it. He aimed his head at the sky as a sphere of chakra grew from what was already there, before firing a sizeable glob directly into the sky. Then, as soon as it had left his control potential, he began to dash through the charging Naruto's. The sphere he fired exploded and scattered smaller spheres across the earth, triggering more detonations all around. With this diversion he managed to take out a fair few Naruto's both with his prior attack and his sneak attacks.

But the Naruto's of course were not weakened simply by losing it a little. They took their previous knowledge of Yagura's abilities and used them against him. For one thing, they all knew that when it came to close range combat, he was seriously lacking. Therefore none of them sought to give him much room, and instead smothered him both with attention and Reppushou's. He was forced onto the defensive, and had a hard time doing very much to change it.

"FUUTON: CRESCENT MIRAGE!" cried twenty three voices, as that same number of Kage Bunshin sliced the air with their straight palms. Yagura stopped with a shocked expression as forty six blades of chakra flew at him from every direction, at an already unavoidable range. He cried out in pain as the blades struck him, scoring the chakra around his entire body. Fortunately he was saved from serious injury, but the air had been knocked out of his lungs. "HURRICANE RISING!"

"_What?"_ he thought, as the Kage Bunshin followed up their attack with insane speed. The Naruto copies all started spinning around at an incredible rate, forming cyclones from their chakra alone. Almost two dozen conflicting air currents combined to create a cataclysmic charge of wind that forced Yagura off his feet and into the air. There he was pounded with countless blades of wind, to the point where he couldn't even think straight. "AaaaaaAAAARGGGGHHH!"

Then, just as suddenly as it came, it stopped. The Kage Bunshin's Jutsu came to an end and they all dispelled, clearing the air both of disturbing winds and killer intent. But there was little of this that managed to get through to Yagura, who was barely clinging to consciousness. The Sanbi's chakra left his body as he fell back down towards the ground, faintly aware of what was going on. Even as he saw the real Naruto running to where he was about to land, even as he saw the strange white mass of chakra covering the boy's arm, he didn't understand just what he was seeing.

Then Naruto grabbed him, and threw him against a tree. The shock going through his back was noticeable for only a moment, before that drill of chakra penetrated Yagura's stomach. He felt endless pain as his insides were grinded against by a thousand tiny blades, unable to let so much as a breath escape his petrified expression. Blood sprayed everywhere, as did fragments of organs no one could possibly recognise. In a mere moment Yagura slumped, before the Shiroken finally relented.

There was a dead silence as Yagura hit the ground, one that came with a heavy air. The smell of blood was as thick as the pools on the ground, enough to make anyone unaccustomed to the scent sick. Already Yagura's eyes had glazed over, for too many of his internal organs had been ripped apart. Above him stood Naruto, who glared down at him with yellow eyes. The Kyuubi's influence was not present; he was entirely of his own mind right now.

"YAGURA-KUN!"

Naruto didn't even blink from Fuu's scream, nor flinch as the girl appeared suddenly by the side of the person lying before him. Even though it was futile, she shook him hard in the hope of some life showing. Almost as soon as she realised that was impossible, she lashed out at Naruto with all her strength. But the target of her blind rage grabbed her hand without the slightest sign of effort, twisting it behind her back and forcing her to stand. "Look." he ordered, coldly watching the body of Yagura down there. "Don't take your eyes off him for a second."

Fuu resisted as much as she could, even to the point of using her Nikusui. But Naruto ignored the pain in his hand, and soon didn't even have to worry about it. Just a few seconds was all her resistance lasted, before it came to a sudden stop. Her eyes were forced upon Yagura, stretched wide to their fullest extent. Even now she forgot just what had happened a moment ago, as what she saw now erased those moments almost entirely.

Something grew from the gaping hole in Yagura's stomach. It was like a huge scab, creeping across his flesh until the wound was completely covered. But unlike a scab, this was smooth and shiny, more similar to a shell in fact. In that way there was also the vaguest of transparency to the shell, where it could be seen that things were moving underneath there. But the opaqueness of the shell was not to last, and soon nothing underneath could be seen at all. This point lacked however, as Yagura suddenly let out a shuddering breath.

"Yagura-kun!" Fuu cried again, falling to his side as Naruto released her. Yagura was still only barely alive, his consciousness just enough to see what was going around. He looked at Fuu, and saw the tears of shock that were pouring down her cheeks. Then he looked at Naruto, remembering what had just happened to him. He could almost cast it aside as a hallucination, if not for the way Naruto was looking at him right now.

"You've been doing and saying as you please for way too long now." Naruto said, with a flat look that somehow emanated so much ill intent that even Yagura's frozen heart was chilled by it. In spite of the fact that Naruto looked exactly the same, Yagura was suddenly afraid of him. Being under those eyes was enough to bring him to a cold sweat. "You have your secrets, and I have mine. If you're going to go out of your way to pry, then even if you _are_ a Jinchuuriki, you'll be my enemy."

He kept his stare for a short while more, just to make sure Yagura didn't misunderstand what he was saying. Then he turned around and walked through the wreckage of their short lived fight, before coming to a stop in the middle of the glade. There Yagura and Fuu both watched as he turned his head off into the trees, giving the slightest of nods. To their great shock, he was suddenly enveloped in a cloud of smoke that left absolutely no trace of him thereafter. Somehow, he was nowhere near this place. And it was for that very reason that Yagura was able to relax just a little.

"_How… how did he get like that without my noticing?"_

* * *

The graveyard of giant monsters that Madara called his base was as humid and dusty as ever it was. The stone basin was almost always empty, yet on this day it was filled with an oddly high presence. A small group of Shinobi stood in amongst the bones littered around the place, each and every one of them dressed in the same Akatsuki cloaks. Here there was a very special meeting going on, one which had brought forth reason to gather _all _the members of Akatsuki.

Deidara, the blond haired bomber, surveyed the scene around him with an expression of clear dissatisfaction. He looked at the faces around and knew that of the ones he most wanted to see, almost all of them were missing. Uchiha Itachi had died by the hands of Uchiha Sasuke, and Sasori had recently fallen to none other than Sabaku no Gaara. His two greatest rivals had been taken out before he had finished with them, and as such he was in quite the foul mood. It didn't help that the other members weren't quite so forlorn about the group's losses.

"Ha ha ha, I think I'm starting to see a pattern here!" called out the loudest member of Akatsuki. The man with the white slicked hair and open collar was turning around with a broad grin, locking his attention onto Deidara with his violet eyes. Already Deidara was annoyed without Hidan having said a single thing yet. "First that babe Konan ditches Leader-teme, then that Itachi bastard hit's the hay, now that ugly fucker Sasori is dead as well! One by one all the self righteous bastards are dropping like flies! How long you think you got left pretty boy?"

"So Hidan, you find Deidara to be pretty do you?" asked the person standing next to the white haired man. Kakuzu's voice was muffled by his mask, but his red and green eyes were clearly making suggestions to his idiotic partner. With his arms folded and his back against a giant rib, he looked almost aloof. But in truth he enjoyed tormenting this person as much as that person enjoyed enraging him. "I should warn you; inter-organisation relationships tend to end poorly."

In amidst the snickering coming from a couple of people, Hidan was left confused as to what had just been said to him. But as always, the point where he realised he had just been mocked was shown by his outraged expression. "THE HELL YOU SAY BITCH?"he hollered, while whipping out from behind his back a large three bladed red scythe. This act might have had some meaning, if he didn't do it almost every time he and Kakuzu spoke to one another. "I'LL END THIS RELATIONSHIP RIGHT NOW!"

Bewilderment aside that Hidan managed a semi-intelligent comeback, there was reason more for the silence that had befallen the rest of the group. From a cave at the far side of the basin another of their members was appearing, or at least someone who was dressed like on of their members. They however had never seen the man in the orange mask, and only one of them knew the complicated story lying underneath it. But of course, that one was staying to the shadows, and would say nothing about it without being ordered to.

"Let's not waste time with needless chatter, there are important matters we need to discuss." said Uchiha Madara, as he left the darkness behind him. For a moment the other Akatsuki members thought to stop him right there, but then other people began to emerge too. A group of men dressed like the Akatsuki were following Madara, each one of them bearing identical aspects. All of them had fierce orange hair, heavily pierced faces and grey eyes with several black circles. Of those men, there was one figure they recognised well; the person they knew as "Leader-sama".

"_Something's happening." _Deidara thought, his eyes narrowing at the approaching group. Seven men to add to five already present, six of those seven men looking quite impossible. Akatsuki's numbers seemed to have doubled inexplicably; a sure omen that things were not about to calm down any. And to make things even worse, Deidara found his attention fixed on the masked man. Or rather, his attention was fixed on the single visible eye. _"Isn't that the Sharingan?"_

Madara came to a stop with the men known as Pein gathering behind him. Though they lined up well, he felt rather uncomfortable with the way things were. The reasons for this weren't apparent, but he would rather be in pain than continue this awkward feeling. _"It looks like I underestimated you Nagato."_ he told himself, as he looked at the back of his own head through one of the bodies behind him. If not for the combined powers of the Sharingan and the Rinnegan he wouldn't be able to stand as he was right now. Fortunately he had found a way to use his own body in time with the realms, something which without both would be impossible. _"It seems that you're only error was that you let your guard slip simply because I was dead… well I won't be making that mistake anyway."_

"The five Kage are on their way to the land of iron."

Madara looked up in surprise at Zetsu, who was in partial hiding at a higher place on the skeleton filling the basin. While the other Akatsuki members threw their attention to the shadowed man, Madara realised he had been absent minded for a moment. "Yes, they most probably have figured us out and want to discuss how to deal with us." he said, quietly grateful for Zetsu's assistance. "At this moment I have sent Uchiha Sasuke and his team out to confront the Kage, but of course that is only diversionary."

Hidan snapped his attention back to Madara, getting a crick in his neck from doing it much too quickly. He wasn't the only one; all the other Akatsuki members had their eyes completely honed on the masked man. However he was different in that he completely misunderstood the situation. "Whoa whoa whoa whoa wait a minute!" he called out, flailing his hands in the air in a frustrated manner. "You saying we're going after the _Kage_ now? Why the hell wasn't I invited to that?"

Unbeknownst to the ever obvious Jashinist, the majority of the people in that room rolled their eyes towards him. Out of everyone there, only Kakuzu was the one "kind" enough to offer explanation to his begrudging partner. "I think you'll find that we _are_ invited to that." he said, before turning his eyes back towards Madara. While he didn't understand just why this person was calling the shots, having Leader-sama behind him was enough for now. "Uchiha Sasuke has become a well known name in the ninja world. Sending him there will divert their attention long enough for us to move in."

"That is somewhat correct." Madara spoke up, as soon as Kakuzu was done. Behind him the bodies of Pein had begun to spread out, forming a circle where all of them and Madara had their backs to the centre. The relevance of this wasn't immediately clear, but there was a purpose somewhere in the obscurity. "If we can kidnap the five Kage we can use them as hostages against the nations and also as proof of our power. But first I would extend an olive branch, one that requires them to hand over the remaining Jinchuuriki."

From the far side of Madara's vision, but not outside the Rinnegan's vision, someone let out a low chuckle. Sitting atop a boulder with his arms and legs crossed, Hoshigake Kisame kept his head bowed as he let out his slight laughter. "So Yoinokuchi has outlived its usefulness eh?" he asked, almost in a joking manner. There wasn't anyone here who didn't know that the ties to the group of Jinchuuriki had been severed, and that Akatsuki's goal had returned to hunting them, like it had been in the past. "But with so many of them who were already on our side… I take it you have a plan that doesn't need them as our allies?"

Madara turned his head towards Kisame, his eye gaining a slight shine as he looked at the seven swordsman. Kisame was the person who had spent most time with the Jinchuuriki, and as such was the one with most questionable faith towards the organisation. Yet since Madara had declared war with the Jinchuuriki, he had heard no complaints from Kisame. In fact, the former Kiri nin seemed somewhat excited by it. "Yes, it is time to initiate the Moon's Eye Plan." he said, in an evocative tone. He smirked beneath his mask as he watched Kisame's fall, the stares between the two of them as tense as the muscles on the shark lover's face. "And to that end, I have _this_."

Forming a short series of hand seals, Madara planted his hands down onto the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" he called, as a huge puff of smoke exploded behind him. He looked as his group of subordinates stared at what appeared behind him, his eye narrowing as he saw the gapes that grew on their faces. For the first time in a long time he truly felt powerful, to the point where he had to resist laughter. _"I put it out of your reach, Nagato, so that you would not do as you liked. However, it was never for a second beyond _my_ grasp. Your interference was for nothing!"_


	26. A second of disparity makes honesty

Ok, finally an update that's on time! For those of you confused on what happened to Yagura, that will be explained in due time. As you may guess from what's been happening, there are other things to focus on right now. I'll have to say that I don't think this final part will reach the same length as parts 1 and 2, but I could be wrong about that. I'm gonna make sure I get out all information I need to, but things are really starting to come together now.

* * *

**A second of disparity makes honesty collapse**

Keishigakure was ever changing, a place that caused one to miss many things should he turn his back for but a moment. What had started off as a simple yet beautiful town was now a Shinobi village under development. Watchtowers had been built along the walls surrounding Keishi, barracks were developed for ninja on duty, and even the hospital had grown considerably. Though there was scaffolding in every street, an eyesore no matter whose opinion, what had been done assisted the imagination into witnessing what was going to become a respectable little place.

On this day however, there was a celebratory air that circulated through the streets and alleys of this fine village. People were gathering in the main streets, some aware of what was happening while most going only by rumour. What they did know however was that the higher ups of the village were rolling out the welcome mat, speeding up construction in the main streets and more notably in the disused quarter. That place, which had been used mostly as storerooms, had now turned into a fine living area, one that already had a few certain people inhabiting it.

At first they thought the reason for excitement was Gaara-sama's return. Naruto-sama's second in command had come back from his journey when the villagers had their eyes on the door, and as such jumped to the wrong conclusion. But when Gaara rejoined Naruto's side, and the work to the village continued, the villagers realised that something else was going on. It wasn't until a few hours later that they realised just what that something was.

A dark procession loomed on the horizon, as a sea of black moved slowly towards the gates of Keishigakure. The people of the village grew worried at the attire of the approaching mass, thinking for a second that a condemning was about to take place. But when Naruto-sama ran through the crowds, a broad grin spread across his eager face, they were soon to find that once again they were wrong. "Everybody take your places, get ready to show your new neighbours your greatest welcome!" he called out, turning on the spot as he reached the main gate.

The whispers of surprise that passed through the people's lips all reached Naruto's ears, enhancing his elation as he heard their words. Though no one was exactly excited, he could see that no one was really worried about this prospect. The people of his village had managed to adapt, so now they could open their arms to those who now approached. With these thoughts in mind, he turned around and awaited those he had called here, while his fellow Jinchuuriki joined his side.

"Get ready." Naruto said, his eagerness turning his words into a command. His comrades looked at him with slight amusement, glad to see him finally in a good mood. Even Yagura, who was still shaken from what happened a few days before, felt relief that the coldness in his leader's eyes had taken a step aside to reveal the Naruto he now realised he preferred. Though Fuu wasn't quite so forgiving, she too didn't want to see Naruto that angry again. And as for the others, the blond boy was the same as ever.

"ALL RIGHT, LET 'EM HEAR IT!" Naruto yelled, turning around and pumping his fist into the air. Almost as soon as those words slipped past his lips, the members of the Hizuma clan began whooping and calling out, even those on guard duty in the watch towers. This enthusiasm spread through contagiously, catching the children of the crowd until even the grown ups were caught in the flow. In just a few seconds, cries could be heard throughout all the people as the procession neared the gates. The reaction of the arriving Hizuma clan was priceless.

As the main body of the first ninja clan to affiliate themselves with Yoinokuchi reached the gates, Naruto stepped out to meet the person at the head. The clan head of the Hizuma looked spryer than ever by the greeting he was being offered. "Looks like you found a lively place!" he barked, taking Naruto's extended hand and shaking it vigorously. He looked over the village with an expression of reverence, before turning his eyes down to his new leader with a smirk of respect. "It looks like you were good on your word after all!"

"Welcome to your new home Yoshi-san!" Naruto replied, not letting himself lose to the power of the clan head's handshake. The two of them turned around and entered the village as keenly as the children behind them, who were running to get a better look. Naruto saw a shine in the old man's eyes that made him feel proud; it looked like he liked the place he would now be living in. "We're still settling in as it is, but if you're clan will help us, we'll soon have this place ready to really make a name for itself!"

"HA HA HA HA!" Yoshi boomed, waving his hands and giving the signal to the Hizuma children. Finally let off their metaphorical leashes, the young boys and girls ran out to check out their new home, even with heavy bags lugging on their shoulders. Everyone was getting seriously pumped, to the point where the Hizuma grew a little shy. But the power their head put into greeting their new neighbours made them come out of their shell a little. "Well you'll certainly have that, you'll certainly have that!"

In truth, the sheer enthusiasm that Yoshi released threw Naruto a little, causing him slight embarrassment. He gave a light laugh and slapped the old man on the back, before running on ahead to where the rest of Yoinokuchi were standing. Yoshi and the Hizuma came to a stop as Naruto raised his hands high into the air, the cheers dying down to a curious silence. Even now he couldn't get the grin off his face; for all the paperwork that went into it this felt more worthwhile than he had ever imagined.

"Tonight we'll give our new allies a welcoming that'll keep the Daimyo from his precious beauty sleep!" he called out as loud as he could. Already he had received a few chuckles, and was delighted over how well this had all gone. He knew he should try and calm down a little, but the looks of the villagers and the Shinobi were driving him mad with excitement. "Everyone from the Hizuma clan, the district that is now your estate can be found in the southeast quarter, there are signs so it shouldn't be hard to find! Take a look around your home; there's nowhere you can't go and don't be afraid to talk to anyone! Yoshi-san will relay any necessary information when we talk later, but for now, feel free to get to know the place!"

Almost as if they had been waiting for that cue, the Hizuma nin contained their curiosity no more. Soon the street was filled with flowing heads as the new arrivals and old faces made introductions, went on their way or even tried to stay together. Of the masses, only Yoshi was the one to walk with direction. "So then, shall we get on with things?" he asked, standing before Naruto and looking down at the boy. At first he had doubted that Naruto had any capabilities past raw power, but from what he had heard from his clansmen that he had issued out to Yoinokuchi, Naruto was more than capable. "I'd like to get a look around the place myself when I get the chance."

"Go take a look, there's no reason to get the talks underway already!" Naruto cheerily replied, gesturing aside with as much energy as the old man sent his way. Yoshi considered the offer, and clearly decided that he _really_ fancied a look around. With a tip of a non existent cap he turned away and blended into the crowd rather poorly. When he was gone, Naruto let out a sigh. Then he and the other Jinchuuriki turned and made their way back to the main office. Each of his comrades noticed his dropped expression, and knew that his moment of ecstasy was now put aside. "So Gaara, tell me everything that happened out there."

* * *

Far away, in some distant part of that building, a faint rumbling could be heard. A commotion of sorts was occurring in the farther reaches of that place, disturbing the silence of this room. In this room was a small number of people seated around a round table, with more people watching from a viewing stage a level above. The people at the table were listening to the commotion going on somewhere to the east, privately wondering when the interruption would finally come to an end.

One of the people sitting there, a blond woman with twin tails and an immense chest, wore an expression of annoyed discomfort. Her brow was creased, the purple diamond in the centre becoming a triangle as she listened to the noise outside. Her hands were gripped tight together, hidden by the white and red kasa laid out before her. The stress of Konohagakure's Hokage, Tsunade, was clear for anyone to see. It only increased her dissatisfaction that she was under the constant gaze of someone who took enjoyment from her feelings.

"Uchiha Sasuke was one of your men, shouldn't you be out there dealing with him Tsunade-hime?" asked the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, a tiny old man by the name of Onoki. This person smirked at Tsunade through his pointed moustache and goatee, barely able to see over his own kasa as it was. For someone so frail looking, he certainly seemed spry enough to mock the head of his village's most opposing force. "It seems unsportsmanlike to delegate important matters like that to someone else. I didn't think that was your style."

Tsunade did her best to ignore this, but the Tsuchikage's words grinded against her. She could almost feel the consensus in the room; the Mizukage and Kazekage were probably in agreement. "Did you already forget that the Raikage requested to be the one to deal with Uchiha Sasuke?" she asked, in as polite a tone as she could manage. She kept her eyes closed as she spoke and tried to keep her face straight. For one thing, she was feeling a little self conscious of the fleeting looks the Mizukage was sending her way. "To Konoha he is a Shinobi who abandoned his village. But to Kumo he is a terrorist. If I didn't let the Raikage have his way then the alliance we're talking about would already be off to a shaky start."

"My my, you really are a shrewd one Tsunade-san." said Terumi Mei, the Mizukage of Kirigakure. That woman looked at Tsunade with her head resting on her intertwined fingers, a sly look clear on her attractive face. Tsunade shot that woman the slightest glance; privately she didn't like the manner in which the Mizukage held herself. Her long red hair tied in a topknot slipped around her face and chest, but failed to hide her much too obvious cleavage. Well, in that latter regard Tsunade couldn't really speak, but it was more an attitude thing really. "But I have to wonder just why you let it go this far in the first place."

For a second time Tsunade resisted showing her agitation. She could hardly admit that the reason Uchiha Sasuke had not been dealt with when he first abandoned the village was because of a favour to her student now could she? Moreover, there wasn't any reason that came to mind which wouldn't implicate her own foolishness. To put it truthfully, she never imagined that Sasuke would live this long in the first place.

_THROOM!_

Each of the four Kage present in the room turned their eyes in the direction of the latest noise to come their way. They all knew that the fight between Uchiha Sasuke's group and the Raikage's team had been escalating at a rapid pace, to the point where each had to question just how much damage would be done in the end. It had even gotten to the stage where the Kage's bodyguards had jumped down from above to stand by their leader's sides. Tsunade lifted her head, as one of her guards moved in to whisper something.

"Tsunade-sama, there is a problem." spoke Tsunade's raven attendant Shizune. Tsunade could hear the urgency in Shizune's voice, and took note of the tensions going on between the other Kage. It was clear that another development had taken place, one that caused unsettlement to everyone in the room. "It's about Danzou-san… it appears he has left this place and is making his way back to Konoha."

The scowl on Tsunade's face invited no questions, even if it wasn't enough to stop certain people in this room. She intertwined her hands before her face, taking on a contemplative look to hide the frustration shown by the curl to her lip. _"After going so far to insist on coming here, he's running away?"_ she thought to herself, as another distant crash was heard. For just a moment she got a strange idea, one that she almost gave away with her look of surprise. _"Is it because of Uchiha Sasuke?"_

Before her train of thought could leave the station, a blockade was set up in the form of the Kazekage rising to his feet. Tsunade looked at the man with the half veiled face, known as Baki, and wondered what had caused such a stir in him all of a sudden. "This is too inconvenient, we are going to assist the Raikage!" he announced, before he and his two bodyguards began to make a rapid departure towards the main door.

In doing so they passed by the host of this little meeting, a man with long dark hair, moustache and goatee. Mifune's stress marked face followed Baki as he left, but said little until the Kazekage had properly departed. "In spite of this interruption we must still reach a conclusion." he said, turning his eyes to remaining three Kage. "Until they return it would be best if we could come to an agreement, to help make the overall decis-"

Before he could finish making his point, pandemonium broke loose as the ceiling suddenly collapsed. Everyone in the room leapt back as rubble struck the table, crushing it beneath sheer weight. The cause of this was not clear, but now there was a gaping hole in the roof that allowed snow to fall into the room. Though it wasn't entirely surprising, that wasn't the only thing that fell into the room.

_CRASH!_

The three Kage and their bodyguards all stared in surprise as a body landed in amidst the rubble of rocks. They had each privately been expecting Uchiha Sasuke to make an appearance, but this was not what they had been expecting. The body of a man in a cloak they all knew to belong to Akatsuki was lying in a crumpled heap, blood trailing down his face and through his hair. This was a shocking sight, but not quite as shocking as when that very Shinobi leapt to his feet, glaring at the sky with a look of rage.

"DEIDARA YOU FUCKING BASTARD, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE AND I'LL CUT YOUR GOD DAMN HEAD OFF!" screamed Hidan, waving his scythe in the air threateningly. His frenzy seemed to leave him oblivious to the presence of the ninja around him, but only for a few good moments. His angered look turned momentarily stupefied, before quickly turning ferocious again. Rather than acknowledge the Kage further however, he began to pick up rocks from the ground and hurl them up towards the hole in the roof. "YOU FUCKING MORON YOU DROPPED ME IN THE WRONG- OW FUCKING HELL!"

The sternness that the three Kage and Mifune were trying to uphold was seriously tested when one of the rocks Hidan threw hit him in the face. It took the appearance of two more Akatsuki Shinobi dropping from the roof to regain the gravity of the situation. "Looks like the Zombie Brothers have done it again, eh Kakuzu?" asked Hoshigake Kisame, as he and Kakuzu stood with their backs to one another. Though he wore a grin as he gripped the handle of the huge bandaged weapon on his back, Kakuzu was not without a certain shine in his eyes too. That was marred only by the comment made by the person behind him.

"Don't lump me together with a moron like that… let's get to work."

* * *

Gaara stood with his back against the door, arms folded and head bowed. The room was darkened to make sure no one outside could see what was going on in here. After going for quite a while, he had finally finished explaining his findings to the rest of the Jinchuuriki. His comrades were all sat around the room, none of them making any clear movements aside from glancing in Naruto's direction.

Their leader sat at his desk, his back to his closest allies. He pretended to be looking out the window and through the balcony, but with the blinds down that task was made rather tricky. His hand covered his mouth and his eyes went further than space could provide, giving him the deep sort of look he seldom wore. His breathing was surprisingly steady; to the untrained eye it would seem as if he was actually calm.

It was Utakata who made the first move, unable to sit with the tension any longer. He shuffled uncomfortably in his seat and turned his head to Naruto, but his eyes were on Yagura and Han opposite him. "Akatsuki has more information on us than anyone else." he said, in a tone quiet enough to make it seem like he didn't want to disturb the silence. Nonetheless he knew the weight of what they had heard, and also knew that they needed to discuss this. "We'll need to create counter measures to make sure none of us are caught."

As always his intentions were good, but on this occasion he was like an open book. Even Fuu beside him knew that any counter measures made would be designed to ensure she, the weakest of the six, would be able to escape. "But we're not going to run away right?" she said, as she lifted her knees to her chest. In spite of her posture she seemed quite resolute, even as she took a stance she didn't really like. "If we face Akatsuki head on… then we can do it without bringing trouble to the village, right?"

Though her question offered her some fleeting glances, no one graced her with a proper answer. Each of them were awaiting word from Naruto, all aware that he would not be able to keep himself silent for much longer. Even Gaara, who had told Naruto not to involve himself in these matters, was watching the back of his friend's head with almost blank eyes. He knew that it perhaps wasn't wise to tell Naruto this, because of his tendency to go to extraordinary lengths for his beliefs. But he also knew that handling this mission on his own was no longer possible.

"Hey Gaara… would you say this has something to do with me now?"

Gaara's eyes fell to the floor as he detected the bitterness in Naruto's voice. He ought to have known that his fellow student would have held that grudge close to heart, but from how much progress Naruto had shown he had allowed himself a moment of naivety that turned out to be a mistake. "Akatsuki most probably knows now that we are aware of their intentions, and are probably already making preparations to assault this place." he said, stating the facts that most of the others either already realised or easily agreed with. "It's impossible to avoid a direct conflict now, unless we can find Hyuuga Neji."

Of all the things he could have said, that capped Naruto's interest most of all. Even though all he gave was a slight turn of the head, it was clear his full attention was directed Gaara's way. That being said, not even Gaara knew the reason why Naruto was so interested. It had little to do with the vendetta, and more to do with the simple fact that that person's name had come up once again. "You think he has information we need?" he asked, as other thoughts flickered through his mind. Neji was also affiliated with that woman from the prison… if finding him meant stopping Uchiha Madara, then was there a connection?

Gaara didn't offer words as an answer, but instead took out the scroll that had been given to him by Konan. In spite of how precious it was, he tossed it over to Naruto as if it were just a plain object. Naruto grabbed the scroll and curiously opened it, reading the contents while the other Jinchuuriki watched. No one else knew the contents of that scroll, but they could presume that it carried with it a certain importance. This was verified when Naruto suddenly snapped up, looking closer at the scroll as if the writing inside had just moved.

"This… this is…" he breathed, rising to his feet in a slow motion. Even with his eyes still locked onto the scroll, he reached out and pulled up the blinds to allow the sunlight entry. There he properly looked at the contents, even then trapped in a state of disbelief. With an astounded expression he turned around to look at Gaara, his round eyes and gaping mouth clearly telling everyone that what he saw shook him to his core. "… Where did you _get_ this?"

The suspense in the room proved too great for Yagura and Utakata, both of whom got to their feet and moved to calm their waning patience. They stepped around Naruto and looked over his shoulder, studying the scroll themselves to seek the answers that neither Naruto or Gaara were in a hurry to give them. "A summoning scroll?" Yagura murmured, lifting his gaze to the blond and red haired ninja with a clear frown. "What use is this to us?"

No one gave them immediate answer; the look shared between the two longest running associates to Akatsuki conveyed too much information to allow passage swiftly. But soon Gaara leant further against the door, preparing to explain what the look he gave Naruto couldn't pass on. "This is one of Pein's most treasured back ups, something that Madara must not have known about." he said, noticing the distancing look in Naruto's eyes. It struck him as odd when he felt himself doing the very same thing, and came to realise that even he held the memories of his time in Ame close. "This is the summoning scroll… for the Six Paths of Pein."

* * *

A thunderous chorus boomed out into the sky, playing a tune that cast across the icy hills of Tetsu no Kuni. The grand palace in which the five Kage had arranged to have their meeting was brimming with clouds of dust, almost as if a lava cave had suddenly opened up below it. The drums of explosions and the cymbals of clashing blades played a harsh symphony; a bolero of destruction. From high above this catastrophic concert was observed by Deidara, who took his role and watched out for any escapees.

The attack had not gone on for long, but it appeared that Akatsuki were close to unmatched. Even those ninja who each possessed the Rinnegan did not fall to their opponents. He was forced to acknowledge that there wasn't a weak person in their team, no one that he could easily best. _"Well, it's not like my art can lose."_ he thought privately, smirking as he witnessed an explosion that caught his eye even from this height. It appeared one of those Rinnegan Shinobi, the bald one, had released a salvo of missiles straight into the support pillars of the bridge. _"At least the view isn't dull."_

He let out the smallest of laughs as a smirk spread across his face. Though he was frozen, frustrated and forced to wait patiently, he wasn't without enjoyment of this time. In fact, it was this very enjoyment that was the reason he didn't notice the larger snowflakes, until they began to land on him. _"What?"_ he thought, whipping his head around suddenly. Before he could resist sufficiently, the "snowflakes" dropped on him like a small blizzard, covering him and the back of his clay bird within moments.

"Don't try to resist, I'm not looking for a fight."

Deidara stopped his struggling as he heard a familiar voice, and resisted a counterattack as an opening appeared in the cocoon of paper that had enveloped him. Above that gap more paper spread, forming the head of a certain woman, even to the point where there was colour. "I need your help." said Konan, her cold eyes fixed on Deidara's shocked expression. She knew that Deidara's loyalties to Akatsuki stemmed only from the fact that Akatsuki allowed him to use his art as he pleased. With the proper persuasion, she was sure she could convince him to aid her. "The position of leader to Akatsuki has been usurped. If you help me to get the real leader back in position then you will be allowed to leave Akatsuki freely."

Naturally Deidara was listening, but he was prepared to sink through his clay bird and detonate it if he didn't like where Konan's offer was going. To mask this little fact he gave a look of interest, playing on the fact that Konan _wanted_ him to be interested. "I figured something was up, Leader-sama isn't the kind of person to do things in such a secretive way." he replied. Thankfully Konan seemed to trust him for now, as the paper was removed and he was allowed to sit up. He faced the blue haired woman, who knelt in front of him without the slightest hint of expression, and posed the obvious question. "What kind of help are we talking about here?"

"There's a message I need you to get out to a certain person, but he may be hard to get close to unnoticed." Konan explained, taking on a surprisingly formal manner considering how she had pinned Deidara down just a minute ago. However Deidara brushed it off for now; he had way too many grudges as it was to take such a slight thing personally. "I need you to locate Hyuuga Neji and tell him that if he wishes to have the Yasakani no Magatama, he will need the help of Sabaku no Gaara. Madara will never let him have it; it's much too valuable to his plans."

In spite of the confusion she had been expecting from Deidara, what she received instead was a surprisingly serious expression. The blond bomber's brow creased, thinking for a moment that Konan had perhaps asked the impossible of him. "Magatama, Madara, what the hell are you talking about?" he demanded. Konan's return look however was not one that suggested answers were to come. It was with a sigh that he realised this. "Alright, I guess I can take care of that."

Konan nodded her gratitude, glad that she could rely on Deidara on this occasion. However her mere presence here presented a great risk, and so with no other words she slipped back into a mass of paper. Those countless sheets fluttered in the wind, before folding themselves into many origami butterflies. Even to Deidara's trained eye he had difficulty keeping watch on her for more than a few moments. Of course, it wasn't _his _eyes she was worried about.

"_There's one more thing I have to…"_ she thought, as she drifted down through the wind. She never got to finish her thought though, as something far below caught her attention. Moving in closer, she saw a boy with black hair spread back into small spikes, and a pale face that seemed to blend in a little with the frost. The white shirt, black pants and purple rope belt were all vaguely familiar to Konan, but it was the shining red eyes that certified her thoughts. _"Uchiha Sasuke? And those other two…"_

At the side of Sasuke was the girl named Karin, who looked to be in as much a state as the Uchiha beside her. Both of them stood frozen to the spot, staring dumbstruck at the woman walking towards them. This person, unknown to Konan, was none other than the lady of the shadows. "What a poor, _poor_ child, to suffer as much as you have." said Tsukirite, as she reached out towards the statuesque Shinobi. Sasuke didn't even react as her cold fingers stroked his cheek, caressed his hair and hooked around the back of his neck. Even when she brought her face nice and close, the Uchiha was oblivious. "But to think that of all people, Hyuuga Neji would steal your brother's most valuable possessions. If I were you, I would stay nice and close to him. You never know what might be his agenda."

The origami butterflies formed together to create Konan's upper torso, allowing her a better look at just what was happening down there. That strange lady seemed to have Uchiha Sasuke in her grasp… was it just her imagination, or was that woman kissing him right now? Whatever the case, Konan knew not of this strange person, and immediately was concerned by it. She could not have anticipated another person being involved, at least not in this way. What even further surpassed her expectations though, was how the eyeless woman not only noticed her, but closed the gap between them without even giving Konan time to blink.

"You too… I owe you my thanks. Thank you for helping me form the key…"


	27. Do you even listen to the bells that

Damn this is late, what a pain. It looks like some of you hold rather negative opinions of Tsukirite (the one who gave Naruto the Nehangan). I was told by one that she is overpowered, so just to make sure no one else misunderstands the situation, I'll state a point that has already been announced in the story. Tsukirite is the Juubi's mother. Therefore she is quite rightfully strong, and can't be measured by normal standards. She's based on a theory of mine as to the Juubi's existence, so I'm not making her unnecessarily strong. Just as strong as I think someone capable of creating the Juubi would need to be.

* * *

**Do you even listen to the bells that toll?**

The five Kage had disappeared. That was the topic that had been under great discussion lately by everyone all over the five nations and around them. Though the ninja villages had done their best to keep this catastrophe a secret, it seemed that the very group that was responsible for the Kage's unexpected absence was also freely spreading the news of that dire situation. Even the people of Keishigakure were fraught with worry as to what this could mean.

Could it be that the five nations were at war with someone? Was this related to what was going on in Kusagakure? Would Ta no Kuni be forced to involve themselves in what was going on? What exactly _was_ it that was going on? These were questions that were frequently asked of Naruto wherever he went; it was clear the people of his village were greatly worried. To ease their minds he said positive things, but in truth he was not free of those worries himself.

Akatsuki were no longer hiding. That much was obvious. The people of Shinobi villages were being warned about Akatsuki, to look out for them and if need be, to hide from them. Even those of Keishi had been forewarned of this; that if anyone wearing a black cloak with red clouds came anywhere near the village they were to stay back and try not to get noticed. In truth Naruto and the others were just waiting for Akatsuki to show up.

Now however was even worse. He sat around in one of the gardens to the back of the village, on a stone bench in the most secluded area he could find. The mood he was in was far from a good one, as the company he was with was far too close for his liking. "I thought we agreed that you'd never set foot in this village." he said, looking darkly at the person standing in the shade of the tree opposite. Jiraiya had come without warning or welcome, and showed no sign of heeding any of the boundaries Naruto had previously set out.

"I can't afford to waste time with niceties when my Hokage is missing." Jiraiya replied, his eyes unblinking as he stared hard at Naruto. From the look on the boy's face it was obvious that this situation was no new news; Naruto had found out about what Akatsuki had done already. He had an idea as to how Naruto knew that; in fact it was that very thing that made him come here like this. "I need to know whose side you're on in this war. Akatsuki's, or-"

"The ninja villages?" Naruto asked, resisting a laugh that was stopped just before it reached his lips. He now knew that Jiraiya was unaware of Akatsuki's change in tactics, and therefore knew that in this situation it was himself who held all the cards. Jiraiya would not be able to intimidate him with threats; not with this understanding in mind. "No, I'm not on Akatsuki's side. But I'm not on your side either. I've got my own side, and my own agenda. Akatsuki has someone important to me too, but since that person is safe I've got the freedom to go about things however I like."

With such a balanced response, Jiraiya wasn't sure to be relieved or not. It sounded to him like there was a mutual goal here, but Naruto's attitude was way off with that line of thinking. However there was one thing he felt sure of. "If you're not on Akatsuki's side then you can at least give me some information." he said, hesitating almost as soon as he finished talking. He was well aware that Naruto would not help out the ninja villages for free; he would have to get something valuable in return before he even _thought_ about doing something like that. "If you give me something useful… then I'll give you the key to the Kyuubi's power."

This was of course the sort of bargain that caught Naruto's interest. To have what he wanted guaranteed to him like that was very tempting, but at the same time he still had to balance his options. He absolutely couldn't give information that would cause problems to Pein. Essentially, he could only tell Jiraiya something that would indirectly cause problems for Akatsuki. "I guess I can help you out if that's your offer." he replied, sitting back and spreading his arms out on either side of the bench. "Well then I guess it can't hurt to tell you. Akatsuki betrayed the Jinchuuriki. They want to hunt us down and seal away the Bijuu."

"Seal the Bijuu?" Jiraiya repeated, his brow creasing at this implication. He seemed to hold himself in deep thought, wasn't this information a little too much for Naruto to give? Granted it was the sort of thing he'd been looking for, but to have it handed to him so simply made him wonder what other secrets Naruto had in his mind. "So what you're saying is that if we watch the Jinchuuriki, we'll eventually find Akatsuki? In other words, if we watch over this place then we'll get what we want right?"

Naruto's eyelid twitched faintly at Jiraiya's perceptiveness, along with the knowing glimmer on his face. It seemed the Sannin had already seen right through his little scheme. _"If the five villages guard Keishi, then there won't be a problem if Yoinokuchi makes a move on Akatsuki."_ was the thought that Naruto had procured. Though he didn't exactly like having the likes of Konoha, Iwa and the others getting close to this place. But deep down he knew that his priority wasn't Keishi. It was Pein. "Don't forget the other Jinchuuriki. I'm sure they'll be safe here if you guys are watching the place."

There was a faint curl to Jiraiya's lip as Naruto outright spoke his intentions. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki just openly admitted that he was manipulating the five villages, and did so with a smirk on his lined face. "And just when I thought your pride wouldn't let you have any affiliation with the village's whatsoever." he said, with a dirty look that he just couldn't hide. "But it looks like you've got no problem _using_ the villages if it suits you."

"I got no problem using dogs… even if those dogs aren't canines."

The two ninja stared at each other for a long time, waiting for the other one to blink. Jiraiya wondered just where this manipulative flare came from; Naruto certainly hadn't shown any tendencies like that in the past. _"There's absolutely no trace of the Yondaime in you at all… is there?"_ he thought, for a naïve moment. But that moment passed with him straightening up; he knew there was nothing more to be gained by staying here. Unfortunately however there was one thing he needed to do, one thing he didn't want to, yet had already given his word. Raising his hands into a seal, he prepared to do something that until the past few years he had always intended to do. "Alright then, let's do this."

* * *

The deep darkness was a blanket of rest, a respite given without request like a mother's command. It settled in amongst the silence with the ease of an entire history, the line between the two erasing with the course of time. There were few places in the universe calmer than the here and now, few places that felt more like the delusion of a deep and dreamless sleep.

The cold sunk in however, forcing away any hopes that the darkness invited in. The hard stone floor was an unsuitable bed, as went without saying. The air was dry and made the throat sore. It was thick and musty, yet with no inclination of temperature. There really was no way to tell just where this place was, just like there was no way of telling how much time had passed.

Three of the five Kage were present in this place, and each of them was truly in a sorry state. Tsunade, Onoki and Terumi Mei had been blindfolded and gagged with balls as if they were some sadist's slaves. They could not see anything around them, nor speak any words. They couldn't even bite of their tongues, if they decided to take an honourable death. What added to their pain was the fact that their arms and legs had not only been restrained, but broken too. Each of them had found this out painfully so, and learned that attempting to move did them no good.

Each of them cursed themselves for their pride. They had all stayed and fought against the Akatsuki both under the impression that it would not be a difficult fight and that the other Kage would look down on them for doing so. Yet for all their egos did for them, here they were taken as prisoners, treated in the most disgraceful fashion. They all knew that there would be no way for them to recover their self images. They could just hope that their villages would do the right thing and leave them to die.

At least, those were Tsunade's thoughts. Her furious temper had caused her to suffer the most for resisting, and even then she had continued on. Compared to the other two Kage, she was in much more pain. Not only was she in this state, but of all people Shizune had given her life to protect her. She had never expected it, but since that time Tsunade found herself unable to stop the tears brimming from her eyes. The one grace she had was the blindfolds, but in truth she didn't have it in her to hide anyway.

From somewhere across the room, a door could be heard opening. The three Kage stilled themselves as they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Not long after that they began to hear the voices of two of the people responsible for their capture, two of the people they had personally fought against. "Just don't make the cuts too big." came the voice of the one called Kakuzu. The Kage listened as he and whoever he was with came to a stop somewhere near them, and the sound of a hollow thud rang out. "I don't want to waste effort stitching them up."

"A shove it Kakuzu, it's not like we're in a hurry to do anything." Hidan rudely replied, indicating his position by the slight scatter of dust Tsunade felt on her cheek. She could sense that insane ninja kneel down before her, and could just hear a swish through the air that sounded like he was playing with a kunai. "The blood I got from them wore off, so ifLeader-teme wantsme to be the one to keep them in line, I gotta get more."

"Whatever, just hurry it up."

Hidan grumbled to himself something about this going against his religion, but all the same he set to work with his assigned task. Tsunade winced when she felt his hand grab onto his arm, and flinched when she felt the kunai drag across her skin. From what she could feel she knew that Hidan's method of drawing blood would not be allowed into _any_ respectable hospital. Too much of it was dripping down her skin and onto the ground, where only some of it slipped into the plastic bag he was holding against her.

When he had taken what must have been an adequate amount from a wasted number, he moved on right away and left Kakuzu to take care of repairs. Once more Tsunade was subject to haphazard medical treatment as she felt thread being stitched through her cut. What struck her as odd though was that there was no feeling of a needle guiding the thread through. If that was the case, then was it that thread Kakuzu had used back there?

This disturbance lasted but a few minutes, with no sounds of struggle from the other two Kage. It seemed that even now they hung onto pride as they disallowed any hopes their captives had of seeing their discomfort. "Man, they could at least writhe a _little_!" Hidan murmured disappointedly, as he began work on Terumi Mei. With a faint smirk he shifted his position so that he was completely between the Mizukage and Kakuzu. There he took advantage of Mei's bound state and open cleavage, drawing his blade across her breast while his other hand amused itself with the flesh.

"HEHOHH!"

"HA HA HA, NOW THAT'S A LITTLE MORE LIKE IT!" Hidan cackled, as Mei struggled against his perverse touch. But almost immediately her body was wracked with pain from her broken limbs, and she was forced to submit to Hidan's whim. She did her best to endure the humiliation dealt to her until the Jashinist lost interest. Granted that took a few moments, but the three Kage already knew that Hidan had the mentality of a spoiled child. "Heh, looks like they haven't moved much since they got dumped in here. Bitches can't even handle a little pain!"

"That's enough Hidan, let's get going."

"Yeah yeah." Hidan replied with a sigh. He finished up his own work and stepped aside for Kakuzu to stitch up the still bleeding Mizukage. After that there came a shuffling sound; most likely they were slipping the bags of blood into whatever container they had brought in with them. Then with their business completed they took their leave. It seemed however that Hidan couldn't resist one last comment. "I'll see you later, Mizukage-sama."

The sound of the door closing came with a feeling of relief from the three Kage; it didn't look like they were going to be subject to any torment just yet. Tsunade could feel the sting of her wound, but knew that at least she wouldn't have to worry about bleeding out of all things. However in spite of their differences she had to wonder about the Tsuchikage and the Mizukage. She herself was capable of withstanding this punishment, but Onoki was an old man and Mei didn't look like the sort who had experienced something like this before. Hopes for their escape were seriously looking-

"I'll kill that bastard!"

Tsunade and Onoki both suddenly froze as Mei's voice hissed from the darkness. Neither of them had taken into account that she could melt through her ball gag in this state, using the power of her kekkei genkai. They had both witnessed this power just a couple of days before; it was truly quite terrifying. "Tsunade-san, I'm coming over your way, can you guide me towards you?" she asked, a strain to her voice suggesting that she was attempting to move in spite of her body. A ragged muffle of complaint forced her to come to a stop; the wrong person was making their presence known. "Onoki-san, I'll get you in a moment. First we need Tsunade-san's medic Jutsu."

Both the Hokage and the Tsuchikage stayed silent for a while, realising what it was Mei had thought up. When they came to the conclusion of what she was thinking, both silently and begrudgingly appraised her. "Ah oha hea." Tsunade called out, after just a moment of hesitation. It took a moment for Mei to figure out where Tsunade was, but before long the sounds of pained shuffling told her that their escape was now underway.

* * *

The sun became pierced by the mountaintop, its powerful orange light turning the dark side of the grand hill as black as the dead of night. All of the mountains could be seen from this peak; even Keishigakure was visible in the distance. The scene was set for a tranquil time, if not for the fast departing birds disturbed by some unseen force. There wasn't anything to indicate trouble, yet even so the wildlife seemed only content with distancing themselves from this place.

Naruto sat atop this mountain, looking out towards the horizon. His hands were gripped tight into the ram seal, his skin paling from the pressure he was putting in. Sweat dripped down his brow and the edge of his lip twitched. He had been sitting here for many hours, putting all of his efforts into the task at hand. Behind him there was a strange creature, a toad that seemed to be in two halves with a scroll connecting its top and its bottom.

"Even if Jiraiya handed me over to you, I got no reason to do whatever you tell me to." Said the scroll toad Gerotora, indicating his feelings with a defiant fold of his arms. Earlier when Jiraiya had fulfilled his end of the bargain, this strange amphibian emerged from his mouth as if it was regurgitated. Almost immediately it began to protest, but Jiraiya left with the command that Naruto was Gerotora's container now. "I won't just let you misuse the Kyuubi's power. There's no way you're ready for that."

Even though he talked, he couldn't say for certain if Naruto was even listening in the first place. The boy had showed no signs of reaction or said so much as a single word in reply. His focus was absolute; Gerotora had to respect him for that at least. _"It almost looks like he's training in Senjutsu… to have this much determination is commendable."_ The scroll toad thought, bowing his head in deep contemplation. So far Naruto had yet to really show anything that indicated he was in a poor state for controlling the Kyuubi. In truth it was because Gerotora knew so little about Naruto that he was resistant. _"He fights like a monster, but at the same time he's always scheming something… I can't tell what I should do…"_

For a short while the two of them seemed to be joined in the same act. Both were in deep contemplation on inner matters, both wearing the looks to suggest this. Although technically what there were doing was in fact almost the same, except that it was conflicting opinions heading in the same direction. Naruto believed that he could control the Kyuubi's power, that he had the will and the ability for it. Gerotora however was firm to the idea that Naruto's feral nature would be too easy for the Kyuubi to take over. Still, he couldn't deny that the boy had great strength.

Naruto's brow twitched for a while, as his concentration began to waver. He abandoned what he was doing and let his hands fall to his side. Gerotora seemed to notice this, and was watching from the corner of his eye to analyse the reason for this sudden change in manner. "Jiraiya said that sealed in you is the key to my seal, left behind by the Yondaime." said the Jinchuuriki, keeping his eyes firmly ahead. He was glad he had chosen this secluded place to do his training, for if anyone was to see him now he was sure he would not be able to pose his next question. "That means… you were there when the Kyuubi was sealed… right?"

Gerotora began to turn his head, before quickly deciding it would be better not to look straight at Naruto. Of course he was hesitant to answer such a thing, for too many reasons. The first and foremost being that of anyone, he felt himself to be amongst those with the least right to tell such a thing. "I guess I have the closest to a first hand account…" the toad said, looking down with a discontented sigh. Maybe it was because of the fact that he was there that he was the _only_ one with any place to speak of such things. "Well… you've got the right to hear it I suppose."

Naruto turned his head over his shoulder, surprised to hear that he would be getting a reply so easily. But all the same he wasn't about to question it; he had always wanted to know what happened back at that time. And so with that in mind he listened intently, not wanting to miss a single detail of what he was about to hear. "The Yondaime and his wife both used their power to-"

The scroll toad jumped suddenly as out of nowhere Naruto placed a hand on him. Gerotora whipped his head back to demand what the boy was doing, when he saw the still look on Naruto's face. "Hold on a second." the swordsman said, getting up off the ground with his attention fixed upon a single place. Gerotora followed Naruto's line of vision, looking down into the trees not too far away. "I think I see someone."

Naruto was annoyed, annoyed both that he was being forced to put off finding out something very important to him, and annoyed that someone was out this far in the first place. Stepping around Gerotora he took to the trees, stealthily sneaking from one to another as he made his hasty way towards the source of the movement he had noticed earlier. The cause was still in sight, but that person's identity was unclear. The large beige hooded cloak he wore kept all details from view. All Naruto could see was that this person was big.

With great caution he closed the distance between himself and this stranger, who suspiciously enough was heading in the general direction of Keishigakure. Yet if that really was his destination, what was he doing so far above ground? It looked to Naruto as if this person was trying to get a good look at the village, gauging it from where he walked. _"Is he with Akatsuki?"_ Naruto thought, as he began to come up behind this hooded stranger. Reaching behind to the weapons pouch at his hip, he pulled out a kunai and gripped it in his hand, ready to make a silent attack if need be. When the distance receded to just a few feet, he reached out to grab the person from behind. "Hey-"

Naruto came to a sudden stop as something hit him, something that was like a wave of air. There was no impact, nor any real effect on his body. Even his mind was still in its own state. What had hit him had not been an attack. In fact, all that stranger had done was look behind him. It was shock that caused Naruto to stop, shock at the aura emanating from this person's body. _"Wait a minute… isn't this…?"_ he began, caught in a daze from his own thoughts. It wasn't until that stranger shoved Naruto against a tree that the blond boy came back to his senses. This person placed his flat hand on top of Naruto's head, and stared deep into the blond boy's eyes.

"I'm looking for a boy; someone you might know. He's about yea high; name's Naruto."

* * *

Naruto was frozen from the sight of the person before him, someone who he had seen only pictures of not too long ago. A bulky, dark skinned man with sunglasses and a pale blond goatee. A pair of blue horn like markings were displayed on his cheek, just as Naruto remembered. "Dark skin… sunglasses… goatee…" he listed, his face struck with stony stillness. "That means you're… Kirabi!"

The Hachibi Jinchuuriki, Kirabi, was standing right before him with a grin spreading across his face. The Kumo head plate glistened as he stepped back, giving him room to check out Naruto while the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki did the same. "Coming up with rhyme in a time of surprise!" the black ninja said, with a cocky smirk that put Naruto strangely at ease. "Looks like my majesty left you hypnotised!"

His idea wasn't exactly false; Naruto was caught stupid by the presence of someone he had not expected to meet under such circumstances. Naruto wasn't sure whether or not he was pleased by this, his thoughts were actually conflicted with questions as to just why Kirabi was here at this time. "Aren't you… I heard you'd been taken by Akatsuki!" he said, the first query that came to mind surfacing past his reasoning and through his lips. "What're you doing… how did you know… I…"

It seemed however that Kirabi wasn't exactly on the same page as Naruto. With the mention of that organisation the Hachibi Jinchuuriki's smile fell and his look became one of no comedy. He placed his hand out again and pressed it against the tree next to Naruto's head, making sure that there was no way eye contact between the two could be broken. "Now listen up fool; I'm a pop you a q…" he said, even now speaking in a strange sort of verse. "You tell me where I can find this Akatsuki crew."

Naruto thought he understood the reason for Kirabi's severity; that he wanted to get revenge on Sasuke for whatever happened out there. But then he remembered that Kirabi was related to the Raikage, who had reportedly gone missing. _"So then he came here to get a lead on Akatsuki so he can find his brother?"_ he thought, taking the most likely course and testing its potential. Kirabi didn't look like the sort who would be content with waiting around; his huge store of physical energy was enough to attest to that. But what else he could see was that the Bijuu energy resonated stronger than any of the Jinchuuriki he knew thus far. _"I gotta be careful; this guy can help me with the Kyuubi."_

This was just one of the things on his mind, along with a list of other aspects that made him all the more thankful of this sudden turn of events. At the same time he felt a growing sense of caution, but even so allowed a cocky smirk to show on his face as he attempted to charm this mass of muscle. "We got a mutual goal there, we should help each other out." he said, appealing to the feelings Kirabi seemed to have for his brother and hoping they would aid him now. "When the time comes and we get Akatsuki, we'll have better odds-"

His words were cut suddenly short as Kirabi pushed his hand _straight through the tree_, creating a hole in it as if it were made of mud. But this wasn't just a show of power; before Naruto knew what was happening he was pulled into a headlock and forced to the ground, before the immense bulk of Kirabi's arm pressed Naruto's head further into the dirt. "Looks like you didn't understand me fool, I ain't here to mess around!" said the rapping Kumo nin, his voice steady yet threatening all the same. "Anyone who holds me back is just _waiting _to be put underground!"

What had first seemed like a miraculous turn of events suddenly became a fiasco of a level Naruto could never have predicted. He had made the mistake of assuming that Kirabi's age meant he could be patient, but in truth that was by no means right. Already this had become a situation Naruto didn't want to be in, yet one he could now in no way avoid. _"Damn it, is this guy out of his mind?"_ he thought, as he tried to figure out a way to get out of this without a crushed skull. _"Stupid question I guess… and here I was worried he wouldn't be interesting!"_

The easiest option would be to tell Kirabi what he wanted to know. That would calm the Kumo nin down and give Naruto a chance to state his case again. It was unfortunate then that Naruto's pride wouldn't allow him to do such a humiliating thing. And so he took his alternative; the only possible one he had. Taking in a deep breath, he looked Kirabi in the eye. Then he let out a low whistle, one that could barely be heard.

A sudden snarl caused Kirabi to look back, the cause then forcing him to remove his hand from Naruto. Out of the trees appeared the six hounds under Naruto's command, Akira, Hotei, Daisuke, Shinmaru, Kunimei and Koyane. These massive mutts leapt to the aid of their master, their fangs in full sight and their fur raised on their hackles as they made their voices heard. Naruto quickly sprung to his feet just as Kirabi landed on the ground, giving the signal for his dogs to step back.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asked, making one last attempt at finding a solution that held as little conflict as was humanly possible. He had wanted to have Kirabi ally with Yoinokuchi, hopefully along with the Nibi Jinchuuriki too. Fighting like this only furthered that desire, making it a naïve dream that held little chance of holding true. If it was like this, then his only choice would be to knock some sense into this nonsensical ninja. "It sounds like the Raikage has been taken hostage, how would he feel if you barged in there and handed yourself over to Akatsuki?"

Kirabi straightened up from his crouched position, regarding Naruto quietly. He considered the boy's words with the wisdom only an adult could possess, and came to but a single conclusion. "So what you're saying is you _do_ know where these Akatsuki guys are at?" he accused, reaching for the collar of his cloak. With a flourish he whipped it off into the air, and revealed the Kirabi that lay underneath. His corn-rowed hair and bulky gut looked rather strange, as was unsurprising. His white muffler and Kumo flak jacket lay upon a bare and muscular chest, his legs hidden beneath black slacks. "After this you'll sing like a bird, but right now amma make you scream like a cat!"

In time to his lame rhyme, the Kumo Jinchuuriki reached back and gripped what looked to be the hilts of several blades. Naruto watched in amazement as Kirabi threw those blades into the air, before taking on a ludicrous stance that caught the blades between each of his joints. Standing on one leg, he gripped these blades with a balance that told Naruto right away that he was dealing with a sword master. Reaching behind for the Ekokaeten, he couldn't help his primal urge as a swordsman to test this strange style out. It seemed that Kirabi too was feeling quite enthused.

"Aw you gon' taste my hooks!"


	28. An attack by the killer bee is one

Damn, this is probably my favourite fight of the series right now. I knew there was no way I was gonna be able to release this first thing in the morning, it very nearly made it to the 6000 word mark. I'm not sure if there's anything in the previous chapter that really needs explaining, so I'll leave that this time around. I still get the feeling I didn't exactly do Kirabi jutice, so I guess I've still got some growing to do. Let me know what you think, cos I'll be ashamed if I mess up someone like him.

* * *

**An attack by the killer bee is one left undesired**

The seven sword style utilised by Kirabi was like nothing Naruto had ever seen before. No attack made by those thin blades was intended to be the end of a string; every strike was followed seamlessly by another. Each time Kirabi turned his body Naruto had to avoid at least two sword slashes; it was seriously like all the Hachibi Jinchuuriki was doing was an obscure dance. Naruto managed to dodge most of the blades quite well, but with so many of them he couldn't help receiving cuts and grazes all over his body. Yet in spite of the pain he often felt, he wore a grin like he had not been able to use since the first time he had mastered the Ekokaeten's zweihaender form.

"_This is incredible!"_ he thought to himself, as he stabbed the Ekokaeten into the ground and created a wall between himself and Kirabi. Yet even though he had had only a short time to garner expectations for this dark skinned Shinobi, even with this he wasn't disappointed. Three of Kirabi's blades struck the Ekokaeten, blocking that attack. Yet without even pausing for breath, the Kumo nin used this to whip around and slash at Naruto from behind. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki managed to spin away and pull his blade from the ground, but at the cost of a pretty bad cut to his right arm. _"Looks like that fox's chakra is gonna have to go into overtime!"_

It didn't take him long to see that he was at a serious disadvantage here. With his giant sword he may be unmatched at heavy weapon combat, but this speed based style meant the Ekokaeten was being reduced to little more than a shield. The only things he had succeeded in cutting were the trees and ground. If he wasn't careful, Kirabi was going to hurt his name as a swordsman. The idea of that made him chuckle, but only as long as it took him to imagine the look on Kisame's face should such a thing happen. Of course, even then he wasn't stopped from enjoying this wild and unpredictable fight.

"_Alright, let's see how he likes this!"_ he thought, hurling his blade into the air. He then performed a quick back flip and thrusted his legs at Kirabi's chest, forcing the bulky guy to stumble back a bit. Even as the Ekokaeten fell through the air, Naruto's hands formed together in the cross ram seal. If Kirabi wanted to use more blades than his hands could handle, who was to say that Naruto couldn't do exactly that same thing. "Shadow Blade Imitation Jutsu!" he cried, creating a cloud of smoke high above ground. Both Naruto and Kirabi had to dart back to avoid being guillotined, as several Ekokaeten's fell from the sky.

Even as those multiple swords struck the ground, the distance between the two Jinchuuriki was fast being eliminated. Naruto pulled out a couple of the fake Ekokaeten's straight from the ground and held them to either side, before jumping up and using the others as footing. "Taste _my_ hooks bitch!" he called, whirling through the air as he descended upon Kirabi's approaching form. His first blade met Kirabi's with a resounding clash, while the second was forced in for a lethal stab. However to Naruto's great shock, the Hachibi Jinchuuriki countered this strike using the blade gripped in his mouth. That alone wasn't so great, but the lightning sparking from the blade definitely caught Naruto's attention.

Suddenly all seven of Kirabi's blades were subject to this strange phenomenon. Each of them became lit up in a blue light as electricity coursed across the metal, buzzing loudly like the bee Kirabi so fondly referred to. It wasn't until those blades began cutting _through_ the fake Ekokaeten's however, that Naruto became truly worried. "You fool, for messing with me!" rapped the Kumo Shinobi, as the Jutsu on the great-swords broke and they both disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Cos I float like a butterfly, and sting like a bee!"

Naruto landed a good few metres away from this rhyming warrior, his hands already holding a pair of new blades. He anticipated an immediate follow up as Kirabi had usually done, so was confused when he saw the bulky ninja straighten up with a frown on his face. "Shit… I already used that beat before didn't I?" he muttered to himself, without the blade slipping an inch. He then appeared to forget this battle altogether, slipping his blades back into their sheaths and procuring what appeared to be a pad of paper. "Don't wanna be a star that uses the same rhymes!"

Naruto was a little thrown by Kirabi's compulsive attitude. What had first looked like a fight on a scale Naruto could really get into had turned into something that was just plain weird. He dispelled his fake blades and picked up the real Ekokaeten, staying prepared in case he was being lulled into a false sense of security. "The ebony king from Kaminari!" Kirabi murmured, smirking to himself as he scrawled down a rap with a tiny and well used pencil. "The god of lightning, from Kumogakure! They call me the superstar, Kirabi! And I am the baddest Jinchuuriki!"

The air split as Kirabi disappeared, displaying an awesome feat of speed. Naruto leapt back as Kirabi pulled his blades out again, gripping them in his hands, elbows, armpits and teeth as he ran straight to his opponent. With just a couple of feet distance between them, he ducked down to the ground and performed a sweeping knew that if he just dodged he would get cut, and so flipped backwards with the Ekokaeten held behind him. "Bad move, baby."

_Shlikt!_

Naruto gasped as Kirabi pulled him into a bear hug, one that stabbed four of his seven blades directly into Naruto's chest. The pain he felt was dulled by the Raiton chakra pumped through the blades, numbing his body so he was powerless to resist. He fell to the ground on his side, sliding through the dirt while Kirabi landed on his feet. The Hachibi Jinchuuriki then moved in for the kill, whirling his blades in the air before jumping and readying himself to staple Naruto into the ground. "So long baby!"

"LIKE HELL!"

Kirabi cried out in shock as a sudden blast of wind hit him in mid air, throwing him off course and straight through a tree. The giant plant collapsed on top of the Kumo nin, but he rolled out of the way just in time to see a second Naruto appear on the field. _"Another one?"_ he thought, looking to the other Naruto lying on the ground. This had to be the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu; it made sense since the boy seemed capable of copying his sword as well. _"Then that first one was a fake."_

"Grrah!"

Blood spilled on the ground as one of the swords hit the dirt, wounds from Naruto's gut staining his flak vest red. Kirabi was shocked to find that his idea was wrong, that the original was the one he had attacked first. Even now the Kage Bunshin disappeared, and he was left watching as Naruto drew himself closer to his grave. _"Fool's gonna bleed out like that."_ He noted, whirling his blades around his hands. _"If he's gon' go that far, then I guess I'll have to talk to one of the other Jinchuuriki in that village."_

Dust scattered like a dense mist as he ran towards Naruto, moving in to finish the job. The light danced off the surface of his swords as he leapt into the air, aiming to make another descending attack. "Goodnight Kyuubi boy!" he called out, flipping the sword in his mouth so that it was gripped by his neck. He reached Naruto just as the boy pulled out the last blade, and rolled on his back to make a last ditch attempt at defence.

"URGH!"

The cry came not from Naruto. Kirabi's mouth gaped open as the air was removed from his stomach with the assistance of Naruto's feet. His swords each were lost from his grip, falling to the ground with a dull clatter. _"No way… not with those cuts…"_ was all Kirabi managed to think, before he was forced high in the air with the propulsion of Fuuton chakra. The pain of being pummelled in his stomach by something like that left him even more winded. _"Looks like this kid don't know when he's had enough!"_

Naruto swung his legs around in the air, using the manoeuvre to get back onto his feet. He checked himself over thoroughly, stunned by the fact that none of his wounds were bleeding any further. This rate of healing was beyond what the Kyuubi was capable of, so how the hell was he able to stand already. _"Damn it, don't got time to think about it!"_ he realised, as he saw Kirabi correct his position in the air.

He grabbed hold of the Ekokaeten again and ran for the nearest tree, intending to take a safer route as he intercepted that dangerous nin. Unbeknownst to him, he passed by none other than Utakata, who stood on the opposite side of that very same tree. The bubble nin's skin was a skeletal apparel of black and white, his lips stained with dripping blood. _"Think I'll stay out of this for now, looks a little dangerous."_ He thought, looking through the leaves as Naruto jumped off the tree and at Kirabi. _"Besides, Naruto has it under control at the moment."_

_CHI-KRASH!_

Wood and earth exploded as the two Jinchuuriki burst straight through several trees. Massive splinters rained the ground like a dark hail, falling into the sea of dust and forming a graveyard for the surrounding plant life. The ground shook for several moments as this place's oldest monuments were brought down with a trembling crash. The greatest wounds here were the ones done to nature. But the two responsible for such a thing were completely black hearted about it.

Naruto stopped himself early, while Kirabi rolled across the dirt. Like Naruto however the Kumo nin was not the sort to stay lying down for long. Within moments he had flipped onto all fours, before charging at Naruto in a powerful tackling motion. Naruto ran to meet with his bull like opponent, glancing at the Ekokaeten in his hand. _"Eko managed to absorb some of that Raiton chakra… but since Raiton doesn't mix well with Fuuton it's not all that useful."_ He thought, slipping the sword back in place on his back. _"I'll keep it there if I need it, but for now I'm better off without it."_

When the two ninja once again reached each other, their fight became something of intense Taijutsu. In contrast to the elegant and complex sword style Kirabi used, it seemed his hand to hand style was based entirely on slugging the opponent as hard as he could. As Naruto was soon to learn, he was _very_ good at that sort of thing. At least, that was what his gut told him, once it was done screaming in pain. Naruto gave as good as he got however, augmenting his own punches with Fuuton chakra to give them more impact.

Naruto felt a slight sensation of triumph as his fist hit Kirabi's waist, causing the large man to grunt in pain. This moment was soon forgotten however as his head was thrown to the side by Kirabi's fist, before then receiving an elbow from the same arm straight in his face. Seriously disoriented by this attack, the easiest counter Naruto had was a sweep kick that Kirabi painlessly jumped over. This was followed up however by a Reppushou that took advantage of Kirabi's sudden departure from ground, and sent him airborne once again.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto called, with his hands held in the cross ram seal. Together he and three copies leapt up from the ground, Reppushou's boosting their flying speed to something that could only be measured in terms of mach. When these Naruto's reached Kirabi, they all rapidly set to work at their assigned tasks. The original dealt a palm strike to the Hachibi Jinchuuriki's chin, while the copies grabbed onto the limbs of the stunned Shinobi. While they turned him in the air, Naruto gripped Kirabi's waist and locked his legs behind his opponent's back. "Super Secret Taijutsu: Uzumaki Piledriver!"

With the combined weight of himself and his four clones, Naruto forced Kirabi's head hard into the earth. The ground cracked under the sheer force of the drop, the shockwaves powerful enough to dispel the Kage Bunshin where they sat. The real Naruto rolled back and onto his feet, watching as Kirabi remained upside down for several long moments. _"Damn… think I overdid it…"_ he thought, when he saw that Kirabi wasn't moving. His own breathing was heavy, and his body covered in streaked blood. He was about ready to call this match to an end. "Hey… you ready to calm down now?"

The momentary idea Naruto had that his attack had rendered Kirabi unconscious was thrown away as that person placed his hands firmly on the ground. With only the slightest sound of effort, Kirabi pushed himself out of the ground and stood on his hands, looking at Naruto without the slightest misconception of mirth. "Messing up my rhymes, stealing my phrases, and now copying my moves…" he said, before throwing himself into the air and flipping onto his feet. The posture he took was not that of a prideful man, but of a breathless beast ready to go in for the kill. "You better run boy, 'cos there's no _way_ I'm gon' forgive you!"

With that said the Hachibi Jinchuuriki threw his arm into the air, his hand taking on the sign of the horns. This seemed to be a battle pose of sorts, for just as he made this sign he threw his head high to look at his gesture, opening his mouth wide. "Now for the eighth tail!" he called out, before clenching his teeth tight and releasing a war-cry that suggested nothing short of full power. "UHWHEEEEEE!"

Naruto took a step back in shock as the Nehangan was subjected to a purely awesome sight. The pulsing aura, that represented the Bijuu's power, threw itself out from Kirabi and through the trees like an immense tidal wave. Red chakra began to bubble from Kirabi's skin, slowly forming a cloak around him that Naruto was steadily growing more familiar with. However, the level of energies his eyes were seeing was nothing like what he had witnessed with Yagura. In fact, this state alone seemed far more powerful than Yagura even when that person progressed to two full tails.

"_I gotta make some distance!"_ he thought, turning around and darting off. He took to the trees, where the Bijuu aura was still blasting past him, and sought to get as far away from the initial attack that he knew was going to come. He placed the Ekokaeten on his back for security purposes, ready to utilise its barrier if he needed it. But for now his focus was getting out of here as fast he could possibly manage. _"Alright, what do I do here? Hitting Yagura with the wind blade barrage was fine for him, but this needs something stronger. Should I use the Kyuubi?"_

It was then that Naruto remembered Gerotora back up on the hill. That toad was his key to the Kyuubi's power, yet it was that very _same_ toad who was standing in his way. With this once in a blue moon situation he knew that he needed to act in a certain way. If Gerotora was watching then he could use this as an opportunity. But only if he didn't get himself killed first. Unfortunately that was a big if, as already he could hear the sound of a fast approaching Kirabi.

"Power of the Hachibi pouring through my soul, GRANT ME VENGEANCE FROM WHAT THIS FOOL STOLE!"

Naruto turned his head back, shocked to see a red mass of bull shaped chakra flying straight in his direction, with three tails of the chakra swirling behind. Kirabi was dashing through the trees in the same tackling motion from before, smashing the wooden pillars aside without a second of thought. The massive horns protruding from either side of his head carved through the trees like a knife to hot butter, losing not the slightest bit of speed as he hurled his massive form straight at Naruto.

"HEDDO BATTO!"

* * *

There was no explosion of dust like all of Kirabi's attacks had created before. No shroud of splinters from trees raining down on the ground. Naruto did not cry in pain, nor was any of his blood spilt. He had not been able to maintain his footing, and had been forced back several long metres. Kirabi was just inches away from him, his mouth gaping wide in a silent roar. The Ekokaeten stood between them, its huge blade touching the Hachibi Jinchuuriki's head plate.

The cloak of chakra was mostly gone; the red aura around Kirabi's head and shoulders completely disappeared. It was not the cloak which had hit the Ekokaeten, but Kirabi's own skull. It was for that reason that the Kumo beast was stunned. The force of running at over seventy miles an hour before coming to a breakneck stop had sent a powerful shockwave coursing through his entire body. If he wasn't dead, he was most probably unconscious.

Naruto stood firm, his hand gripping the hilt of the Ekokaeten so tight that his knuckles paled. The resolution on his face showed that he knew just what had happened; Eko's chakra barrier had erased all active chakra in its immediate proximity. It had ridded Kirabi of the one thing that could protect him from such a halt, and kept Naruto safe for the time being. Even though Kirabi seemed still Naruto remained in that position. If he moved his body too much then the barrier would break.

He looked at Kirabi for the longest time, watching as the mental, physical and Bijuu energies dwindled. He could tell just by looking that the Hachibi Jinchuuriki was still alive; as Naruto hoped all he had done was knock his fellow monster down for the count. With a sigh of relief he relaxed his body, returning the Ekokaeten to it's place on his back. _"Thanks Eko… you saved my neck."_ He thought, as Kirabi fell to the ground in a slump. He pressed his hand against his stomach once again, thinking about the stab wounds that had been dealt to him, and how they almost miraculously disappeared. _"Wasn't I on the other side of this situation not so long ago? Damn it, if this hurts so bad I can't tell what Yagura felt. Should I apolo-"_

_BA-BOOMP!_

Naruto froze as something blasted through him, another wave of Bijuu energy. His wide eyes stared in horror as Kirabi's energies began to suddenly rise once again. Before he knew it that chakra cloud re-emerged, this time with a heart stopping eight tails. "Think you can stop ME?" Kirabi called out, placing his hands on the ground and half pushing himself up. He glared at Naruto with blood dripping lips, before attention was drawn away by the bulges gathering at his back. From the base of his spine burst out eight lumps of flesh that were steadily growing larger, paling and producing strange sucker like things. "LETS SEE WHAT YOU THINK… OF THE HACHIBI!"

The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki threw himself as far back as he could manage, as the Hachibi Jinchuuriki was lifted above ground by the eight tentacles growing from his back. His arms bulged out to large proportions, and four horns grew from his skull, one broken at the end. Every passing second resulted in him growing more colossal and less human, becoming something along the lines of a huge half bull half octopus. It supported itself with its massive forearms, the eight "tails" keeping its rear. Naruto had managed to make over a hundred yards distance from where he had stood, but even then the Hachibi was still bearing down on him.

"_Th-that's a _Bijuu?_" _Naruto thought, taking a panicked step back as for the first time in his life he got a good look at what a tailed beast looked like. This thing, the Hachibi, was as big as the mountains Naruto trained on. That such a thing could support its own weight seemed impossible to Naruto, it far exceeded even the largest beasts he already knew of. What was more, the aura his Nehangan saw created a pulse so strong it filled Naruto's entire body before moving straight on past. This was a level of immensity he had never truly imagined. _"Impossible!"_

"OH YEAH, THE EIGHTH TAIL HAS RISEN TO ROCK YOU TO THE GROUND!" roared the Hachibi, somehow still possessing Kirabi's rhyming voice. It looked like it was true that that Jinchuuriki could control his Bijuu, but Naruto had had no idea that it was actually possible to _become_ the Bijuu. Yet as he looked, the giant ox like monster threw its giant hand in the air, forming the sign of the horns just like Kirabi had, before releasing that very same war cry "UHWHEEEEEEE!"

Then with that very same hand, the Hachibi brought its fist straight down upon Naruto. The earth exploded as shards of dirt as big as wagons were thrown into the air. Trees were little more than splinters to the Hachibi's fist. Naruto was even less significant. It was for that very reason that the giant ox-octopus didn't notice when its target leapt across the flying debris to gain verticality. Naruto soon attained level with the ox's eyes, where he was finally noticed.

"_This thing is way too big!" _Naruto thought, his teeth baring as the Hachibi opened its titanic jaws to swallow Naruto whole. It was a powerful Reppushou that saved him from being consumed, yet threw him seriously out of range from any possible counterattack. He was shaken by the fact that when the Hachibi closed his jaws the shockwave added to the effect that he caused. _"Damn it, I need a Jutsu for taking out giant bastards too?"_

In that brief moment he had to plan his next move, Naruto wasted not a fraction of it. If he used the Tajuu Kage Bunshin he could Barrage the Ichibi with attacks and maybe knock it out that way. Against an opponent like this he didn't have to worry about holding back, so going all out with the Shiroken shouldn't present any problems. The main concern was whether or not the Hachibi had any automatic preservation techniques, like Gaara's sand or his own regenerative capability.

Unfortunately thinking like this did him little good, as the Hachibi was already opening for its next attack, literally. It spread its jaws wide open again, and before Naruto's very eyes he witnessed a black orb of energy growing and gyrating dangerously. This orb grew and grew until it was almost as big as the Hachibi's head. Then, in a shocking firework display, the orb exploded into blinding white light that was heading straight for its near defenceless target.

"_Shit!"_ was all Naruto could think, as he grabbed onto the hilt of the Ekokaeten and pulled it in front of him. He managed to build up the barrier just as that mass of white chakra struck, but for the longest time he felt the full brunt of the pressure Eko experienced. The barrier couldn't hold up against attacks of this magnitude; he could already feel that he was getting thrown back at a much greater velocity than he could manage on his own.

Thankfully the white chakra disintegrated without killing or maiming the person it was targeted at. Naruto could feel himself soaring through the blue sky, feel the wind on his body as he passed. Somehow he was still alive. But the Hachibi was very aware of this, and prepared to finish the job once and for all. It was then that Naruto was struck dumb, time slowing down as he suddenly felt something pass by him.

At first he had thought it was his dogs, leaping in to take on the threat to his master. It really looked like that, the way they flew past with outstretched wings. But then he realised that those were not wings at all, but arms. His jaw slowly dropped as he found those four figures were not his dogs at all, but the passing forms of Gaara, Yagura, Utakata and Han. Sound and sight escaped Naruto as he focused on his fellow Jinchuuriki, seeing them looking back at him from the corners of their eyes.

"_Guys…"_ he thought, barely noticing as Fuu grabbed hold of his falling form and supported him on their descent back to earth. Even as the two of them landed on the peak of one of the mountains, he still watched as his comrades headed off to face the Hachibi. His already stunned face stretched even wider, when those people he called his friends began to pulsate with Bijuu chakra.

"Mo-oh, wake up Naruto-kun!" Fuu complained, shaking Naruto lightly where he now stood. Naruto blinked off his shock just long enough to look at Fuu questioningly. The green haired girl was looking back at him with an upset glare, not quite settled on discomfort or anger. This was only accented when she realised that Naruto in no way knew what was going on around him. "What are you doing fighting something like that all on your own?"

Naruto was caught doing something of a double or triple take as he whipped his head from Fuu to the others, not quite sure where his priorities put him. "I- wait, that's the Hachibi!" he exclaimed, suddenly realising that the others might not know. He struggled against Fuu's grip, her grappling skill was impressive enough to keep even him from moving. As the Ichibi, Sanbi, Gobi and Rokubi Jinchuuriki began to bulge unattractively he tried to join them to make sure they didn't go too far. "They can't kill him!"

"Mo-oh! They know what they're doing!"

"ALL YOU BEASTS CAN'T SCREW WITH ME! I AM THE LEGEND, THE KIRABI!"

Naruto and Fuu both froze as they watched something that possibly no one in this world had ever seen before. The four Jinchuuriki of Yoinokuchi changed shape at a rate close to what Kirabi had managed. The sand from Gaara's gourd grew and covered his body, continuing past what the limits of that sand could possibly reach. Yagura's skin turned to shade of grey and hardened like a shell, before bulging out like Kirabi's had. The steam from Han's armour burst out and took on a strange form, completely hiding the Shinobi within. And a white slime poured out from Utakata's skin, covering him and bulging out in a gelatine like fashion.

The earth shook under the weight of four great beasts landing upon it. Wind blasted through the valleys of the mountains and cast a dust storm out in every direction. Naruto and Fuu both had their hair blown back by the force of it, but neither of them really noticed. Their attentions were completely and totally fixated on the five Bijuu that had been awakened before them.

A huge tanuki made of sand, bearing dark crack like markings and a tail styled somewhat like a long pine cone. A massive turtle with a shell covered in spikes, and three flat tails lying like a stone carpet. An immense hoofed animal with a white furry body, dolphin like head, several fin like ears and five swishing tails. And finally, a giant slug with tiny limbs, a great slimy body and six sticky tails sitting behind it like a fan. These four hideous monsters sat around the Hachibi, the Ichi and Sanbi in the valley between while the Go and Rokubi remained atop mountains to either side. Anyone who could see this terrifying scene would soon either make their peace with the gods, or curse them forever.

Naruto was on the fence in this regard. The sight of these titans where his friends had once been was something he could never have brought himself to imagine in his entire lifetime. He was shaken to his core by the fact that even though they looked like this, he could still distinctly see his fellow Jinchuuriki inside. Gaara and Yagura both stared up at the Hachibi with serious, studious eyes, while Han gave his piercing look to the giant ox. Utakata even managed to make the Rokubi look somehow chipper, if that was conceivable. Yet all the same these five demons released a killing aura so intense that even Naruto felt choked up by it.

"_This… this is… the Bijuu?"_ he thought, gripping the hilt of the Ekokaeten tighter than ever before. Not for years, not for a _moment_ in these past three years, had Naruto ever witnessed anything that truly terrified him. He had thought he had mastered his own fear as a result of Kisame's training, but all he had really done was make himself strong enough that his confidence couldn't easily be broken. It left him unable to say anything then, as in this single moment he realised that between all the Jinchuuriki, right now he and Fuu were the smallest. _"… Is this what it means… to be Jinchuuriki?"_

Far ahead the Hachibi stared, its mouth wide open at the sight before it. But unlike Naruto Kirabi inside came to terms with this a whole lot faster, and responded a whole lot quicker. He lowered his stance and bared his teeth, leering out at the other beasts and knowing he was cornered. "ALL YOU FOOLS TRYING TO UPSTAGE ME?" he demanded, barking out his words, with growing intensity. "STEP YO ASS DOWN, AND TAKE ME TO AKATSU-"

That was as far as he was allowed to rhyme, as the Ichibi stepped in to make the first move. It grabbed on to the Hachibi's shoulders and pushed hard, forcing the eight tailed beast to put its weight on its tentacle tails. Then the Ichibi drew in a huge exhale, its stomach expanding to more than half its original size. "FUUTON: RENKUUDAN!" roared Gaara's voice, as the Ichibi pounded its fist into its own stomach. From its mouth released a massive ball of air, that struck the Hachibi at point blank range and force it to begin falling backwards.

Next it was the Sanbi to make its move, stepping in for the Shukaku and firing out its tails. Those tails then wrapped around the Hachibi's arms even as the turtle drew in a sphere of chakra, and like its predecessor released it straight into the Hachibi's chest. This explosion of chakra took the ox off the ground and forced it even further back, but was disallowed its fall to the ground by none other than the Rokubi. Utakata moved his beast so that he was back to back with the Hachibi, using its tails to wrap around the ox's. Then it used the Hachibi's momentum to flip that monster over, making it smash into the ground and cause a tremor throughout the entire valley. Finally, as the Hachibi began to rise again, it was the Gobi who finished the job with a donkey kick that broke the ox's neck clean to one side.

The eight tailed giant ox was frozen in place, its head forced completely on its shoulder. Slowly it succumbed back to gravity, its body receding in on itself. Before its head even hit the ground, it was gone and replaced by a half dead Kirabi, who lay on the ground as a bruised and bloody mess. Around him the other Bijuu began to disappear, until after just a minute more the four Jinchuuriki responsible for taking that monster down stood around the culprit with unsympathetic faces.

"Wait!" Naruto called out, as he and Fuu arrived at the barren wasteland that had once been a luscious forest. All around them were shattered trees and torn up earth, a war zone created before anyone even knew it. He and Fuu reached the others as quickly as possible, Naruto going that extra distance to drop by Kirabi's side. He knew that the others were aware of who he was now, there was no way they could mistake it. "You guys, what are you doing here?"

"That would be because of me."

Naruto's heart stopped for a second, as he heard the voice of someone he had thought to be long gone by now. Looking over his shoulder he watched as Jiraiya approached from the broken trees, walking with his arms folded and his expression stony. "I stuck around to see what you would do about the Kyuubi's key." He said, while Naruto stared silently back at him. "When this guy showed up I alerted your comrades to the situation. This wasn't something you could deal with right now."

The breath in Naruto's lungs slowed to the point where he didn't even notice it. He could feel the eyes of his comrades upon him, and knew now that he was receiving no sympathy for his beliefs regarding the Jinchuuriki. _"No!"_ he thought, as he came to understand just how bad things were. They knew that he had gone behind their backs, even after everything he said. They knew that he had been meeting with Jiraiya of Konoha, and exchanging information. They knew that he had gone against everything he had promised both to them and the villagers, all for the sake of his own desires. They knew.

"Damn it… why are you bastards… standing in my way?"

All eyes turned on Kirabi, who somehow was still awake even after that great ordeal. But now there was no way for him to get back up, his injuries far too great for him to move on his own. His body was filthy and covered in premature bruises, blood slipping out from his lips and dripping down his neck. From behind the group Jiraiya stepped forward, looking down at this proud warrior with great respect and pity. "Kirabi-san… a report has come in from what happened at the summit." He said, speaking in a low and sympathetic voice. "I'm sorry… the Raikage's body is being brought back to Kumo even as we speak."

Once again all eyes turned to Jiraiya, stunned expressions met with gaping mouths. Out of all of these Kirabi was the one with the worst of it, looking at the Sannin as if he were the devil himself. He gritted his teeth tight, tears slipping past his broken sunglasses and dripping down his face. When he could contain himself no more, he turned his head to the sky and let out a roar of pain so strong that it shook the Jinchuuriki harder than anything else Kirabi had dealt that day.


	29. Prelude to disaster the epilogue of

I hate that it took so long to release this; my laptop spontaneously wiped itself of all content. 8 pages gone without any sign of a reason. I just wanna get this chapter out fast, this one was a real pain in the ass.

* * *

**Prelude to disaster; the epilogue of hope**

The streets of Keishigakure were as silent as the setting sun. Eyes cast from the windows out onto the road as the slow procession made its way through. The eight Shinobi they knew of were walking aside two they didn't; an old man who kept his distance and a dark skinned man carried on a stretcher by two from the medical unit. From the looks the Jinchuuriki held, there was as little to celebrate for them as the village felt there was. For even Keishi had felt the impact of what had happened out there. And as Naruto looked around, he could see to just what extent the touch of that battle had affected this place.

Dust was strewn everywhere, turning the once pristine village filthy. The shockwaves from the Bijuu's attacks had rendered the village almost like a desert wasteland. The people of the village were clearly afraid, could they have possibly heard the Hachibi's cries, or maybe even seen some of the fight from here? If that was the case, then they probably didn't know what to think in the hour of silence leading up to Yoinokuchi's return. Although in truth, even those who were present at that battle strongly desired answers from the people most responsible for this situation.

The still form of Kirabi had made not a single movement since being placed upon the stretcher and carried away. His consciousness had left him by his own volition; his cry of pain draining the last remaining energy that dwelt within his beaten body. Chances were that he didn't even know where he was, if he was capable of comprehending that much. Even as he was taken into the Jinchuuriki's residence and placed in a bed, there were no signs of recognition coming from him at all.

The room he had been placed in was small; too small for everyone to gather in. Instead they all stood outside in three parts. Gaara, Yagura, Utakata, Fuu and Han stood together with their eyes on Naruto, while Jiraiya stayed behind and out of their line of vision. The tensions hadn't left for a single second, but at this moment they became more pronounced than ever. Naruto wasn't allowed any naivety to what was going on. Too many distrustful looks were fixed upon him for such an error to be made.

"… With the five nations keeping an eye on things over here, we can put our full attention on dealing with Akatsuki before they deal with us." He said, unable to look his comrades in the eye. He stood by Kirabi's open door, his hands in his pockets and his attention fixed on the ground, trying to make himself as small as possible. This wasn't something he could be completely forgiven for even if he tried. "It's a win-win situation; everyone benefits from it."

Of course this was only a part of the problem. Without looking he could still tell that judgemental eyes were set upon him, cold and unforgiving gazes that were still awaiting an explanation to the more important point. But in this aspect Naruto could not act mild. Even though they looked at him like that he felt like it was unfair. "What did you expect me to do, just wait around and do nothing while you all take care of the jobs too big for me to handle?" he demanded, this time turning the accusing look upon them. "Just 'cos the Kyuubi is the hardest to handle I shouldn't bother trying? There's no way I can accept that! Look at what happened out there, all I could do was push him around! Then you guys show up and I have to watch from the sidelines?"

"This isn't a matter of us trying to stop you from gaining the power that lies inside of you." Gaara replied, speaking up where normally he would leave the scolding to someone like Yagura. He gave a frozen look to his one and only friend, and was met with a combination of defiance and unsettlement. Gaara closed his eyes and bowed his head towards his folded arms, an almost defeated look about him. "The fact is that you pursued that power with no consideration about the welfare of those around you. You were willing to put everyone at risk for the sake of that power. Is that all that everything you've done amounts to? A whim only to get replaced by something that interests you more?"

Silently, the other Jinchuuriki seemed to be getting moved to the sideline. To Gaara and Naruto the only people present were themselves. That was why Naruto was able to ignore the others and glare fully at the desert Shinobi, who opened his eyes to see how Naruto would react. "You know that's a load of bullshit!" the swordsman yelled, his teeth gritting in anger at the allegation handed to him. "You think this is fun for me, working with those Konoha bastards and ratting out on Akatsuki? You think I don't know how dangerous the Kyuubi is? One false move, and we're all DEAD!"

From the corner of his eye he noticed Fuu jump at his cry, and remembered that there were more people here. Forcing himself to calm a little, he straightened up and looked to the rest of his group. In spite of what they said, he knew that _they_ were the ones who were truly naïve. "You think the five nations are just gonna let us sit here?" he demanded, making eye contact with each and every person, _especially_ Jiraiya. "Right now out location is convenient for them, but once this is over you think they'll just let us be? If we can't all harness our power then either they or _he'll_ get us. I'm not gonna let him do as he pleases with Akatsuki, so I'm gonna do everything I can to stop him!"

Once again his breathing turned heavy, as the weight of the things he said tired him out. It seemed however his words had had some effect, as no one in front of him were giving him dirty looks any more. Gaara however was not so kind, as he turned his back on Naruto and looked to the end of the hallway. "So what you're saying is that your loyalties lie solely with that person then?" he asked, keeping names aside in the presence of Konoha's Sannin. But even if he didn't give names, the feelings that went with his words were fine indicators as to what he thought. "… Then make your choice. You can go to him and do what you feel is necessary, or you can stay here with us. But if you choose to stay, you will have to accept punishment for what you have done. Decide."

He left Naruto in silence, the other Jinchuuriki following him hesitantly. Naruto looked after them with a stunned expression, only now realising the situation that was put before him. He continued to stare even as they disappeared, even as Jiraiya approached him quietly and calmly. "Sounds like your job has a hell of a lot of stress to it." He said, deciding not to make Naruto any more irate than he already was. With a calm look to his left, he gave an expression of mild surprise. "Looks like you're not the only one who can't just lie around."

Naruto turned his eyes in the same direction as where Jiraiya was looking, noticing that Kirabi had already awakened. Forgetting his problems for a moment he and the Sannin walked into the room, the medic nin stepping aside to allow them proximity with Keishi's guest. "Geez, I would've thought after that you'd at least be out long enough for the rest of us to catch our breath!" Naruto said, putting on a grin that didn't really have much feeling behind it. "Don't worry; you're not a prisoner or anything. Just rest here until you-"

"You're Jiraiya of the Sannin right?"

Kirabi spoke without moving in the slightest, making his mouth even more noticeable as a result. Jiraiya looked down at this man, fully understanding what he was going through and what it must feel like. "You have my condolences concerning your Raikage." He said, knowing that in spite of Kirabi's breaking of the most standard ninja rules, this Shinobi was not so foregone that he would forget the true priority of this situation. "He was as fine a Shinobi as he was strong, and one that fully deserves the respect given to him."

"Who did it?"

Jiraiya and Naruto half flinched at the feelings hidden behind that blank question. Against their expectations Kirabi was not in mourning for his lost Kage, but enraged by how his brother was taken from him. Jiraiya realised this with a sigh; perhaps the Shinobi ways of the past had not reached to the generations ahead of his own. "Unfortunately we don't yet have a name for the person directly responsible." He explained, closing his eyes and folding his arms in a wise manner. But barely a moment later he looked down at Kirabi again, his brow creasing to that of a contemplative statue; cold and firm. "All we have is a description. The Raikage first fought with Uchiha Sasuke, but those truly responsible for defeating him possessed orange hair and heavy piercings. All of them were from Akatsuki."

Kirabi turned his head ever so slightly to look Jiraiya in the face, almost as if he was trying to determine the old ninja's honesty. Jiraiya allowed him the chance to search, while he himself studied what he could of the Hachibi Jinchuuriki. With their attentions so fixed on each other, neither paid much attention as Naruto took his leave, his lip bleeding as a result of his gritted teeth.

* * *

A quiet inn was always a poor omen, at least to those who were in charge of the place. Silence always represented the fact that business was low, that few customers were resting here. As a result the people who worked here tended to overcompensate in terms of sound in the hope that it would seem as if the place were busier. It was a classic strategy, but one that tended to make the situation worse if it backfired.

Cleaners dragged their trolleys through the halls, whistling a morning tune. Receptionists closed their sign in books and rifled their papers quite vigorously. Chefs and cooks worked hard in the kitchen to sharpen their utensils. Really, it almost seemed as if they were _too_ busy. That was the impression at least, one that wasn't undeserved. Sitting at the bar quietly was enough to tell Hyuuga Neji everything that was going on around him.

He cradled the glass in his hands and looked at his reflection in the water, his thoughts gone to some far and distant place. He had ridded himself of that Akatsuki cloak, returning to the white asymmetrical shirt that he favoured. Even now being affiliated with Akatsuki was dangerous, to the point where those red clouds were enough to warrant a Shinobi's arrest. It was for that very bothersome reason that Neji could not feel completely comfortable. That is to say, the person beside him was one who donned that cloak regularly. So of course he was a little on edge.

Thankfully it seemed that that person had said all that he wanted to say. He rose to his feet and headed off without the slightest word of farewell, something that Neji was in fact grateful for. As he continued to stare, his reflection in the water curled its lip. _"Someone other than myself and Madara knows about my desire..."_ he thought, recounting the words that the Akatsuki member had just spoken to him minutes before. _"Which means that person must have been present at the time I gave Madara my condition for assisting him. In that case, it's someone who both knows Madara's identity and true intentions. Someone who intends to bring him down, from what I have heard. And for some reason, that very same person wishes me to find Sabaku no Gaara of all people… is this related to what Madara told me?"_

He closed his eyes and focused his thoughts further, trying to make sense of the things that he knew. The only solution that made sense was that someone had either worked out Madara's scheme, or had in fact learned of it from the man himself. In other words, a genius, or a traitor. But neither of those things led him any closer to a name or a face. The simple fact was that this was most likely the doing of a person who had been involved long before he had arrived on the scene. In that case, just how calculated was his role in this mystery person's plans?

"Neji."

Neji opened his eyes and looked once more in the makeshift mirror of his glass. Behind him stood none other than Uchiha Sasuke, another unwanted person who for some reason seemed to be hanging around him. That person took the seat the Akatsuki man had been using just a minute ago, and looked dead ahead of the bar. "What exactly is it that you want to do?" the Uchiha asked, staring at the bottles stacked on the shelf with blank, lifeless eyes. There was no hiding the fact that his vision had weakened a great deal; he was almost on the verge of total blindness. It was his pride and hatred that seemed to keep him going, something Neji would pity him for if he could bring himself to care.

"Strange… it almost sounds as if you intend to repay me for the assistance, don't you think?" he asked with a smirk, as he lifted his glass to his lips and drained the fluid. The reason he found something like that strange was because Sasuke had already abandoned his subordinates to Akatsuki. Those three had already been put to work by Madara and placed under other members, just like what had become of Sakon and Kidomaru. Neji had to chuckle at how in that regard he and Sasuke shared a common feature. "Manners were never your strong point, why the sudden desire to return the favour?"

He looked over at Sasuke for any sign of a reaction, but found that he was as well as talking to his glass. He knew from the things Sasuke had said not so long ago that the Uchiha's number one desire right now was to go to Konoha and totally obliterate it. Why then was he following Neji around when he clearly wasn't needed? The simple fact was that if Sasuke was here, Madara was definitely watching. To that end Neji knew his actions could not go unnoticed. It was unfortunate then that there was an aspect of his personality that also chose to hinder him; the aspect of sociopathy that he could not resist once it had come to mind.

"Well, I suppose there is no harm in saying it out loud." He sighed, sitting back in his stool and looking up towards the ceiling. He noticed Sasuke turn his head ever so slightly, and knew that his tone had earned that person's momentary attention. Neji knew better than to waste this moment, and so went right in to the words forming in his mind. "According to Madara there is a plot to end his life. The person behind this plot is Sabaku no Gaara. Apparently that person went so far as to speak to Uchiha Itachi about the matter. I'm curious to see just what secrets Itachi gave unto Gaara."

This time he was graced with a response in the form of a turned head from Uchiha Sasuke. His pitch black eyes met with Neji's near white ones, the two staring at each other for several long moments. Then Sasuke rose to his feet, facing the door with his back to the Hyuuga. "Well then lets get going." He said, sounding nothing like a person who was repaying an ally, more like someone who was taking control of the situation. "Take me to where he is."

"_I was already on my way you fool."_

* * *

A door creaked open on old and rusted hinges, allowing an opening into a viridian world. Pale green stone filled this basement room, tall circular pillars supporting the manor above. Light from outside bounced off the greenery and reflected through the small windows up high, adding to the green glow all around. In the places where that sunlight failed to reach, electric lights forced the shadows back. The room was cool, like a forest in the fall.

These were all grand words to say, but none of them were what came to Naruto's mind. As he stepped into the calm basement all he could do was gape and voice only a sound of impression. He was led into this room by Fuu, whose attitude suggested she had been to this place before. She was the one who led Naruto through, taking him to the place that the other Jinchuuriki awaited him. Once more all of them looked severe, but each also shared a faint aura of relief. That Naruto had chosen to come here meant that he was willing to stay after all.

"It's good that you have made this decision." Gaara said, from his position in the wide circle that he and the rest of Yoinokuchi stood in. As Naruto came to the end of this circle he realised a giant seal was painted upon the ground. He could tell just by looking that this was the work of Yagura; he himself understood Fuinjutsu to the extent of being able to create Jutsu traps, yet this was on a whole other level. "Place yourself in the centre and prepare to listen to the terms of this punishment."

Naruto let out a sigh; it seemed that pleased though they were at his decision, they were still unwilling to forget about the things that he had done. And so he made his way towards the middle, his hands slipping into his pockets to mask the growing nerves inside of him. _"Damn, without these guys how the hell am I supposed to do anything with the Kyuubi?"_ he thought to himself, as he came to a stop at the designated place. The seal was certainly a large one, meaning that its purpose was no slight thing. _"But this is gonna be troublesome, I can-"_

His thoughts were cut short, as his heart suddenly beat out of rhythm. He grabbed his chest from the shock, as not only did he feel that strange thing, but an overwhelming dizziness that seemed to come along with it. He managed to stand his ground, but what he was feeling was far from comfortable. Whipping his head around to search for answers, he found his vision blurred to the point where Utakata seemed to blend with Han, their red and black hovering around Fuu for a moment. He seriously felt like he was about to be sick.

"This is a multiple tier style imprisonment Jutsu designed to incapacitate targets of high risk." Yagura explained, taking the reigns of this ordeal and proving his involvement in the creation of this thing. Naruto strained himself to meet the person's gaze, for the ringing in his ears was keeping him from fully understanding speech. "It dampens your senses so you can't easily resist, and weakens your body considerably. Any chakra you form will be pulled into the seal and released at several locations where it can harmlessly disperse. This is your containment."

"As for the punishment itself, that's where the rest of us come in." Utakata said, continuing where Yagura left off. Naruto lowered himself to his knees to preserve his sense of spatial awareness, and craned his neck over his shoulder to look at the bubble nin. "You see, your task is to channel enough chakra that the seal will overpass its limit and force it to break down. It is _our_ task to hinder you in any way that we can. This seal taps into our Bijuu chakra, so our effort in maintaining it is minimal. So we would advise against losing consciousness; you'll only put yourself in a worse position."

"This is the punishment we have decided for you." Gaara finished, speaking flatly, yet not emotionlessly. Naruto looked straight ahead at his closest human companion, and was still brought to wonder just what it was that was going on in Gaara's mind. Was this sort of thing really the punishment he deemed necessary? "If you can successfully escape this seal without quitting, then you will have proven your dedication to this organisation and this village. Then, and only then, will we continue to accept your ideas."

That was the conclusion of the situation that Naruto was now in. No one else spoke as he was given time to take in what he heard; his physical state slowed him down considerably. _"Well, I guess if I have to, this is better than what I imagined."_ He told himself, as he readjusted his position so he was sat cross legged on the ground. For a while there it had been his fear that he would have to properly do battle with one of the Bijuu, as a means of proving the power of such a beast. _"It doesn't seem too hard, I just gotta keep gathering chakra ri-"_

"Maybe with this, you will truly understand what it means to be a Jinchuuriki."

Naruto's eyes widened and flew up to Gaara, a mistake considering his condition. But before he could question his ally further, it seemed the barrier aspect of the Jutsu was now coming into effect. A red wall rose around the boundaries of the circle, closing Naruto off from the other Jinchuuriki. Reluctantly he raised his hands into the ram seal, and began to channel the chakra that would come to release him from the prison crafted by the ones he called his comrades.

Now that he sat here, generating chakra in a slow and steady stream, he found he could ease the disorientation by closing his eyes. He could feel the chakra he pulled out being drained from him through the seal, and with it the constant decrease to his stamina. He naturally had a massive supply of energy; it was possible that being a Jinchuuriki was the only reason he _could_ break free from this. If all it took was creating massive amounts of chakra, then that was a simple task indeed.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he called, switching his hands to the modified ram seal. All around him appeared his exact copies, sitting in the same position and ready to create more chakra. With something like this the task should be easy to do. All he needed now was to have him and all his clones pull out all the chakra contained within them, and then this was would soon be-

_FIZZZZZT!_

"GAAAH!" the twelve Naruto's cried out, as lightning jumped from the seal and struck their bodies ruthlessly. Clouds of smoke exploded inside the barrier, creating a fog that took several long moments to dissipate back into clear air. When this happened, Naruto was revealed to be sprawled on the floor, twitching in pain as every nerve in his body was impaled with lightning. With difficulty he lifted his head, looking out to the other Jinchuuriki with wincing eyes. "What the fuck was that?"

"Like I said, this is a high level imprisonment style technique." Yagura replied, without the slightest sign of regret for Naruto's suffering. He was the one putting the most effort into keeping the seal going, as the Nehangan told Naruto. "This seal has a limiter that only allows a small quantity of chakra to be pulled out in the way we have mentioned before. Any chakra you generate that stretches over that limit will be absorbed and converted into Raiton chakra, which will then attack your nervous system to cause both pain and force you to stop what you are doing. In other words, there are no shortcuts to this task."

Naruto's teeth grinded together as he hauled himself back to his seat. That was a dirty move, not warning him about that sooner. Either these guys wanted to make sure he got the full message of this punishment, or they wanted to see just how he intended to go about it. In either case, he could not get back to gathering chakra without feeling some form of ill will. _"Can't think like that, there are other things to focus on right now."_ He thought, as he resumed the seal and set to work as his conditions allowed. _"Think about what Gaara said… what it truly means to be a Jinchuuriki…"_

Once again he closed his eyes to settle himself, and put his thoughts along that path. Could it be that behind this punishment there was a hidden meaning? Something involving what it took to gain the power of the Bijuu? If that was really the truth, then he needed to give this exercise his all. If the other Jinchuuriki were really going to assist him in earning the Kyuubi's power like this, then maybe the way they went about wasn't so bad after-

"YOW!" Naruto yelped, as he felt something cut across his cheek. He slapped the wound quickly and realised he had been hit with something sharp; blood was already dripping from the cut. He whipped his head around accusingly, subjecting himself to that visual torment once again, before assessing who the most likely culprit was. Even though he glared at Fuu, she simply smiled back at him and even offered a friendly wave.

"Let the hindering begin!"

* * *

In one of the small countries that lay between Tsuchi no Kuni and Ta, there was a village that lay right in the middle of that space. It was a village that consisted of a surprising number of hydrangeas, almost every street was full of the blooming bushes. The afternoon sun beat down upon this place, giving it a last blast of heat before the coming night. The wind was almost still, but not without dulcet tones from fallen petals scattered across the ground.

A small group of people were making their way through this calm and docile place, offering the village none of the appreciation that it deserved. This group each appeared to be Shinobi from Iwagakure, as the shiny head plates came to suggest. There were eight people in this group, five of them men and three of them women. Well, four men, three women and what appeared to be a boy.

"So this place is in Ta no Kuni?" asked one of the men, a Shinobi with dark brown hair tied back in a tight ponytail. His studious eyes turned down to the boy walking beside him; the only other person with proper experience in the task that they had been given. Kyoei Taiki, the young and creepy Ninja of the Static Storm. "To think that in such a short time those people have successfully created their own ninja village… well chances are the foundations will be hazardous."

"What does it matter if the foundations are stable or not?" asked Kyoei Taiki in return, looking up through his mop of brown hair to fix a pair of fiery orange eyes upon his comrade. Kyonshi Kougai was one of few people left unsettled by the power of this boy; the permanent field of static that rendered peace impossible around him. It was for this reason that Taiki could smirk fully, ensured that his full meaning would be understood. "If you go straight to the top, then it doesn't matter if the foundations are made of gold or grain."

Kougai turned his dark eyes back to the road ahead, looking away from his fellow member of Iwa's Research and Experimental division. He didn't want to say it, but he too had no desire to waste time with meaningless acts if they could get to their targets right away. "Iwa believes that if Akatsuki is seeking the Bijuu's power, then the proper course of action would be to eliminate those Bijuu so that Akatsuki's goal will be impossible to attain." He said, making sure the easily bored Taiki understood their mission. "Don't waste time; if you find an opening then take it."

"Yeah, whatever."

As the group from Iwa's R&E division progressed on, they passed by a café which at the moment was rather full. From inside that café the heads of three people turned around, looking after the group that was walking by them. "Hey, sounds like those guys want to get to the Jinchuuriki first." Said Suigetsu, with a smirk across his lips. He turned around to the person beside him, letting that man see his expression as well. "Want me to get them out the way?"

On the other side of the person Suigetsu spoke to, Juugo looked up curiously too. Both of them had been placed under this particular person, who spent little time on the group from Iwa. "They're weak, go for it." Said Hoshigake Kisame, as he returned to his meal. He had been wearing a rather bitter expression lately, and had not been the greatest person to be around. Neither Suigetsu or Juugo understood the reason, but they felt it had to do with their current mission. "I don't want _them_ to be worn out by the time we get there."

Suigetsu's smirk became a grin, as he understood Kisame's feelings. Wiping his mouth he rose to his feet and left the café, taking his own way after the Iwa group. Kisame didn't spend any attention to this; his thoughts were already at his destination. _"To think things have turned out this way."_ He thought to himself. He didn't like wasted effort, and what he was about to do was make the last three years worthless. It was because of that that he was in a foul mood. _"Those two better be ready."_


	30. Time and time again brings only

Another one that was a pain to write... thankfully I managed to get back into the swing of things right around the important part. I definitely think there isn't very much left to this... though it might not b over as soon as I first thought. In any case I find myself thinking about my next project more and more. Thought it won't be a trilogy, I'm getting quite confident about it. Anyway, here it is.

* * *

**Time and time again brings only repetition**

The process was absolutely perfect, a flawless combination of energies pulled from the depth of his being. The mental energies merged with the physical and created the power known as chakra. As soon as this new energy was formed, it was pulled beneath him into the seal in a way that rendered it almost totally useless. He had learned though that this was the best way, as when that chakra gained a use he experienced a great deal of pain. Hence the best solution seemed to be to just sit there quietly and generate as much chakra as needed to break the seal down.

That was the theory; this was reality. Sitting had become impossible for him, as every time he stopped to rest he was subject to the torment of those around him. Whether it was as simple as a dart from Fuu or as complex as a bubble from Utakata that burst into dozens of tiny needles, there was scarcely a moment of safety for him. Sure he had the Ekokaeten to protect him, but if he chose to turn his back on Fuu and Utakata he was simply put to the lacking mercy of Han and Gaara. Thin streams of steam and senbons of sand grazed his skin, breaking his concentration and making this delicate process all the more difficult.

The worst thing was that with the windows outside Naruto could easily tell just how long he had been in here. So far he had spent an entire night subject to this suffering, and as a result many things were wearing thin. His stamina, his balance, and most of all, his patience were being pushed to their very limits. He noticed that he was not the only one suffering, as Fuu's blow darts lost even more accuracy. Yet he doubted that the others were so easily exhausted.

He couldn't keep going like this. He had thought there would be some way of telling how much progress he had made, but there was no such thing. He dodged the projectiles that flew his way; they had the decency to only throw small attacks towards him, all the while gripping his hands in the same seal. His legs were aching for a rest and the rest of his body was definitely in agreement. _"Damn it, there has to be a way to end this."_ He thought, as he turned his back on a jet of steam from Han. There was a point to this exercise, a meaning he was supposed to learn from it. Just doing this for how many days it was needed would not get him anywhere. _"What the hell was he getting at, "what it truly means to be a Jinchuuriki"?"_

What was it that the others had gone through that Naruto hadn't? There was something along the line between not having any power to gaining control of their Bijuu. It was at that place that Naruto was stalled, an obstacle in his path that he could neither see nor overcome. It couldn't be a difference in strength; the training Naruto's body had gone through would kill even the most determined of Jounin. No, the answer lied in something to do with either the mind or experience. If he could just stay calm, and ignore what was going on around him, he was sure he could eventually-

"_FUCK!" _he thought, as a claw of sand swiped at his arm. He felt his skin grind off his flesh, and was forced to break his seal to stem the bleeding. He fell to his knees and glared hatefully at Gaara, seeing not the slightest sign of remorse on his "friend's" face. Naruto's teeth grinded together as he looked down at the ground, only to become subjected to the "hindrance" of the other Jinchuuriki. His body was racked with slight pain from all angles as Utakata's bubble needles scratched his skin, Fuu's darts drugged him with a burning liquid and Han's steam scorched his skin. _"BASTARDS! I'LL FUCKING RIP THEM APART!"_

"Is that so?"

Naruto froze, his eyes snapping open as the pain suddenly left him. He lifted his head in shock only to see that he was knee deep in a large pool of water, in a chamber much larger than the room he had been in before. Staring straight ahead of him, he saw the gate that sealed the Kyuubi no Yoko inside. There that massive beast looked down at him, its eyes narrowing and its grin spreading wide.

"How does it feel, all that pain?" the Kyuubi asked, lacing his pleasure filled words with feigned concern. The great beast moved its head forward; for some shocking reason Naruto could now see more than just its eyes and teeth. The giant head of the nine tailed fox loomed before him, its orange fur darkened by the light of this place. Its long ears twitched with enjoyment, its eyes slimming even more. "It hurts… doesn't it? It makes you angry, makes you _hate_."

Naruto pushed himself to his feet, feeling that although he received no more injuries his exhaustion was still very much there. He looked over the Kyuubi in a seeking manner, seeing that this beast was much different than he thought it would be. It was wrong; the Kyuubi was much smaller than the other tailed beasts. Was this a result of having half its chakra sealed away? If that was the case, then he knew his tampering with the seal was a beneficial thing in the end.

"My offer is still the same you know; all the power you want to end your suffering is yours as long as you remove this seal." The Kyuubi continued, bating Naruto with words of release. It dipped its head down into the water and continued to taunt the boy at its own pace. "Take away this seal and use it show all those who look down on you what you really are… let them see for themselves just what it is that you can become… let them _feel_ your pain, and let them experience the loneliness that you were so often put through… do you get what I'm saying?"

The vast gap between the boy and the beast was filled with a rising tension as the two stared deep into each other's eyes. The Kyuubi looked into Naruto's yellow eyes and once more saw that strange, indecipherable thing. Naruto looked into the Kyuubi's eyes, and thought that the fox's iris seemed a shade darker. With this in mind, Naruto's lips spread apart into the slightest gape. He suddenly had a strange feeling, an urge he couldn't possibly explain.

Without so much as a cry or sign of indignation, Naruto began to run at the Kyuubi with the flattest of expressions. The nine tailed fox looked on curiously as Naruto charged straight towards the gate, splashing the water consistent chakra with every bounding step. Then the monster tensed as it realised Naruto's destination was neither the gate nor the seal, but _the place where the Kyuubi resided._ With this the Kyuubi readied itself, awaiting Naruto to enter its reaches and allow it whatever nefarious desire it possessed.

_RISSSSSSSHHHH!_

The charging form of Uzumaki Naruto was forced to a painful halt as from the floor at the very gate grew more bars to the prison. These columns rose up at great speed, causing waves through the chakra water and sending a dull tone throughout the entire chamber. Even as Naruto landed on his back, grabbing his arm in pain, the gaps to the Kyuubi's residence became impossible to squeeze through. The giant fox glanced over the new bars in a mixture of curiosity and annoyance, while Naruto struggled back to his feet.

"A fair attempt to say the least, but you know if you want this power you don't have to go _that_ far right?" the Kyuubi asked, as its attention returned to none other than Naruto. It watched as its jail keeper approached the gate in a more careful manner, wondering just what he had hoped to achieve by doing such a thing. "Taking my power inside here would only trap _you_ inside the seal as well. If you want it, then there's only one way to do it."

Naruto didn't offer any words of response to the Kyuubi's repetitive speech. It had been worth a shot, but it looked like there really was only one way of doing this. _"But… what did Gaara mean?"_ he asked himself again, still in the process of working that aspect out. The Kyuubi had said something about pain; could that be related to this? Or was that simply the beast's way of trying to convince Naruto to do something that in the end would only hurt him? _"Damn it… I guess I'll just have to figure that out in the meantime…"_

With this conclusion he lifted his eyes to the seal, witnessing both the seal and what he himself had added to it a while ago. He didn't take his eyes off it for a moment as he ran up the gate, giving it an even harder stare when he reached the thing. "Go on… do it." The Kyuubi commanded, lifting its head so that it was level with Naruto and the seal. Seconds passed as the blond swordsman hesitated, the great fox's patience waning. "Open it!"

The incessant demand of the nine tailed fox caused Naruto to pause, his fingers just touching the paper seal. The beast was so keen to be freed, was that really what Naruto wanted just yet? There was something nagging at the depths of his mind, something that caused him to hesitate. _"If I'm wrong, then it's all over for me… I'm not sure I have enough confidence to go through with this…"_ he thought, pulling his hand back from the seal. He gave it some deep consideration, wondering just what it was he should do. Then he looked into the Kyuubi's eyes, and saw the feelings behind them. The anger, the hate, _the desperation_. _"What?"_

He let himself slip from the metal gate, and fall down to the water below. The Kyuubi became almost frenzied by this, dipping its head down and glaring at Naruto accusingly. And in doing so confirmed the sneaking thought present in his mind. _"That's right… the Kyuubi wants to break free from this prison, to get out… but why? As soon as it gets out into the world all it will do is destroy the world it hates. What for?"_

This was the question that became stuck in his mind, niggling at it for any form of an answer. He put his mind to it, frowning at the Kyuubi as he tried to see whatever he was missing. But when he finally came to realise what it was that he believed to be the truth, he would rather have never found out in the first place. _"That's… that's it?"_ he thought, his eyes widening to a look that was both scared and desperate. He didn't even notice himself backing off from the Kyuubi, not even as the massive beast steadily grew smaller. _"Is that… really it?"_

* * *

The silence was worrisome, the lack of reaction eerie. The five Jinchuuriki who stood around the seal holding Naruto in had stopped their torment to study their target uneasily. For some reason Naruto remained on all fours, yet by all signs still seemed to be conscious. Even though he no longer seemed to be generating chakra, he also no longer paid any heed to the slight attacks that were sent his way. It was almost as if he didn't feel them at all now. It was for that reason that everyone around him felt growing anxiety. There were few reasons that something like that would happen.

"You don't think he's…?" Yagura unintentionally asked, as a droplet of sweat rolled down his cheek. It looked to him as if Naruto was in the deep state that only occurred when a Jinchuuriki was conversing with his Bijuu. If that was the case, then even this seal would not be enough to contain Naruto should he decide that the effort was no longer worthwhile and released the power of the Kyuubi.

Gaara shot Yagura a quick glance, knowing that if that person was wearing an expression like that then the situation could easily turn dire. He turned his head even further back, looking into the shadows of one of the columns. He stared there for a moment, before returning his attention to the trapped Naruto. "Be ready for anything." He ordered, his words causing a stir amongst the other Jinchuuriki. Even Fuu's moment of lethargy came to a pass as she shook herself awake. "I have never encountered a time where Naruto hasn't changed after meeting the Kyuubi. That thing influences him much too easily for his own good."

It seemed then that the growing concern of those in the room was not unjust, neither was the task they had set out to do. All of them were personally afraid of what might happen if Naruto lost control; that was the entire reason behind all of this. Utakata, Fuu, even Han, none of they three liked having to do something as cruel as this. Naruto had managed to do some pretty great things with his own power. They didn't agree that he needed to be any stronger.

But then Naruto began to stir, and their fears rose again. The boy staggered to his feet with his head hanging low, almost threatening to fall straight off his neck. Then his body stilled, facing towards Gaara without looking at the sand Shinobi. Everyone else waited in silence for what was about to happen, the tension in the air rising to a sweat breaking level. "They're not evil… are they?" Naruto asked, his tone flat and totally against the mood. He kept his attention down on the ground, his eyes pensive and deep. "The hatred they feel… it's because of the suffering they've lived through since the moment they've been born… the Kyuubi… he's just like me."

No one could reply to this, no one wanted to be the person to say the wrong thing. Even Gaara had no words to reply to this. At first it seemed he couldn't even look at Naruto. But then his attention fixed again on the shadows behind him, and it appeared that was not the reason at all. "He understands what it means now." He said, earning the surprise of Naruto. The blond boy looked up to see where Gaara was staring, even then not sure just what was going on. "Asking him to be more ready than this is asking too much."

For a moment it looked like Gaara had been talking to thin air. But that thought was shunned aside as the shadows moved, and from it stepped a tiny figure that only Naruto should have been aware of. "Yeah… he's got the right idea in any case…" said Gerotora, emerging from behind the focused column with folded arms. The toad looked up at Naruto with obvious displeasure, perhaps even now he didn't like what was going on. "I suppose considering the situation I can settle with this."

Naruto wasn't sure just what was going on, but before his very eyes the barrier was lifted and the seal came to a close. Had this all, rather than a punishment, been some sort of a trial concocted by the nefarious Sabaku no Gaara? Or was it simply that this was something he thought up in the meantime, and deemed it more important? In either case the scroll toad was here, and by the sound of things was relenting something important. There was only one thing that toad had, as far as Naruto knew, that it would be unwilling to give up.

The toad stepped towards Naruto, sizing the boy up once again. He seemed to be looking with new eyes; a look still serious but also slightly curious. "… Well then let's get this thing over with." He said, letting out a sigh as he placed his hand on his chest. Then with a flourish Gerotora began to whirl through the air, the scroll that was his torso unfurling and floating in the air in front of Naruto. Before long everything that was inside the toad was revealed. It was a massive contract of sorts, with a huge seal on the far side featuring a sun like diagram with the spiral Naruto was uncomfortably familiar with. "Put your hand in the square to sign."

Naruto looked over the contents of the scroll, knowing from what Jiraiya had said just what it was that was before him. This was the key to the Kyuubi's seal that Namikaze Minato had created seventeen years ago. This was the last physical representation that man made prior to his death, his very handwriting encased in this thing. Naruto looked at his hand, and realised with disgust that in going through with this he would be accepting the "gift" that his father had left him back at that day. But that was not enough to stop him. Taking a step forward he raised his hand, and pressed it firmly against the small square panel.

If he had expected something to happen, some flourish of light or some feeling of warmth, the nothingness left him to disappointment. He dropped his hand from the square and saw an imprint left behind; perhaps the least attractive signature he had ever made. Nonetheless it seemed to be enough for the toad, who began to wrap himself back up again. "Well, now for the uncomfortable part." The scroll toad said, when everything was back in place. He turned his eyes around him to the other Jinchuuriki, and knew just by looking that none of them knew what it was that he needed to do. "Can someone restrain him?"

Taken aback by this sudden request, Naruto was too late to resist as the others quickly obliged. With his arms gripped behind his back by Utakata and Yagura, his struggles only lasted a few moments as Gaara used his prison sand burial to envelope and trap Naruto's body. Then the reason behind Gerotora's curious command became absurdly apparent as the toad jumped up to Naruto's face and stuck its fingers between the boy's lips. "Watch those teeth; I get ripped up and you can say goodbye to ever controlling the Kyuubi." The toad forewarned, before diving headfirst into Naruto's open mouth.

Behind this disgusting feat, Fuu and Han watched uneasily. The green haired girl's hand flew to her mouth as the scroll toad's arms disappeared inside Naruto's gullet. A gag reflex triggered from that, one which warranted the use of a second hand. Han offered her a third on her shoulder, which helped a little. But neither of them envied what Naruto was going through right now.

"URRRNNNGGG! URRRRRRNNNNNGGGG!"

Naruto's eyes were spread wide, saliva slipping past his almost tearing lips as Gerotora forced himself into his stomach. He neither knew nor understood just _why_ an oddly shaped amphibian was trying to get itself eaten, and to be honest he wasn't in any position to think about such things. As Gerotora's waist, if that area actually existed, slid against Naruto's tongue all he could do was try not to throw up. But really, it was beginning to get _very_ painful.

Finally came the point where all Gerotora needed was the push that Yagura provided, and he managed his entire body into the depths of Naruto's stomach. As the victim to this atrocious act was released from the grip he had been held in he fell back down to the ground, spluttering and trying to get the slimy taste off of his tongue. He was down there for several moments, hacking and coughing away, not even taking the moment to realise that he didn't _feel_ as if he had a four foot tall toad sitting inside of him. As he gripped his aching stomach he had to wonder just where Gerotora had gone.

With Utakata helping him back to his feet, Naruto managed to steady himself even if he still felt rather queasy. Sweat was pouring down his face and his lungs were pumping at full power in spite of the exhaustion he was feeling from that ordeal. "Hah… hah… hah…" he panted, as Utakata let him stand on his own. Both Gaara and Yagura were watching him, wondering just what it was that they had just witnessed. They weren't the only ones. "So… what… now?"

The two Jinchuuriki more experienced in facing the Bijuu looked at each other, apparently sharing the same thought. For a moment Naruto didn't receive any answer, as if the two boys had the same idea, but conflicting opinions. "We'll need a bigger seal." Yagura said, as the two broke eye contact to look at the others in the room. The final person to whom he fixed his gaze upon was the man of the hour, the one who asked the question in the first place. "It's time you take control of that beast."

* * *

"Oh?"

Once again the Kyuubi stirred, opening its eyes from where it lay. To the beast's surprise Naruto had returned to him, this time just a few hours after the last visit. This was not the only thing it noticed; its prison seemed somehow a whole lot brighter than it was back then. Of course the fox was curious, how couldn't it be? With Naruto looking up at it with those eyes, it doubted that there were many who could ignore such a thing.

"Yo kitsune-chan, wanna stretch your legs a little?" Naruto asked, smirking as he took a running leap up to the gate. There he positioned himself before the seal, looking over it confidently. The place he had marked with his own seal was still very clear, and he was forced to acknowledge that in doing what was about to happen he would no longer be able to apply that little piece of work. "Bet you're feeling stiff in there, ain't ya?"

There was something about the way Naruto was going about things that the fox didn't seem to like. It watched as Naruto pulled a kunai out from behind him and stabbed into the seal. That caused the Kyuubi to raise its head, its eyes widening in shock. "You're going through with it then?" the Kyuubi called out, realising too late that its words were not the things best said in this situation. With this it narrowed its eyes, and moved to a position as if ready to pounce. "That look in your eyes… it seems like you understand what you're doing."

Naruto let out a chuckle as he felt the Kyuubi's chakra rise violently. He knew now why Yagura had seen fit to spend so long crafting a huge seal for this task. The raw power of the Kyuubi bursting out from those gates must have been triggering some awesome reaction, for even in here Naruto could feel it. Unable to contain himself anymore, he tore off the rest of the seal and pulled open his jacket, unveiling his stomach beneath it. The spiral and triangle shaped seal resembled an eye, the four elements seal. Without so much as looking, he channelled chakra into his fingertips as he knew he should, and stabbed them into his stomach.

A lot of things happened in the coming seconds. As Naruto twisted his fingers around the seal on his stomach, so did the spiral shaped lock on the Kyuubi's gat grind open. As the lock became a complete and open hole, the Kyuubi raised its claw to slash the gates apart. These things were of no surprise at all to Naruto. In fact, this was a clash he was steadily looking forward too. However, there was one thing that seemed to mar this feeling however. There was a choking sensation that caused Naruto to frown, as the collar of his shirt rode up against his neck. Then the gates split open, bringing with them a hurricane like gust. However it was not that gust alone that forced Naruto back. He knew it for certain, _something had pulled him away from the Kyuubi no Yoko._

"_What is this?"_ he asked himself, as sound escaped him for now. He watched as the Kyuubi emerged from the gates, glaring hatefully after Naruto. But before the beast could so much as open its jaws, long chains erupted from the water beneath and coiled around the monster's body. Soon the Kyuubi was tied down to the ground, struggling with its huge body. But it was not one to accept defeat when it was so close to achieving freedom. Spreading its jaws wide open, it released a blast of chakra that followed Naruto at a speed much faster than he was being pulled. Just as his imminent death appeared unavoidable, a white wall came between him and the Kyuubi, and his momentum came to a stop.

He rolled across an invisible floor, as whatever had gripped him let go. He grunted in pain from the impact with the ground, before coming to a rolling stop on his stomach. There he lay for several long moments, massaging his sore throat which was now released from stress. Yet as he raised his head and looked at the place where the Kyuubi had disappeared from view, he saw something that almost immediately took away what little breath he had managed to gather. And with that, his eyes widened and his pupils shrunk.

Standing before him, with a dark expression conflicting with the light all around, was a man whose face Naruto knew from history. The wild blond hair that was kept in place with a Konohagakure headband was much like his own, as where the blue eyes that man had. The white coat he wore was just like from the pictures, the flames flickering in a nonexistent breeze. The Konoha uniform underneath only solidified what Naruto already knew. This man was the Yondaime Hokage.

That man was not the only person here however. Beside him stood a second figure, one who Naruto didn't fully recognise. A woman in a simple black dress, with long red hair that flowed all the way down to her ankles. This woman looked at Naruto with as much severity as the Yondaime, though for some reason there was also sadness in her eyes. Naruto couldn't keep himself from looking between these two people, just like he couldn't keep himself from realising what it was that he was looking at. Without so much as a word exchanged, he knew the identities of these two beyond petty things like names and titles.

"You…" he breathed, even with his face half obscured by chakra water. He saw the expressions of those two people twitch at his voice, and knew that even the Yondaime thought it painful to look at Naruto as he was. Both of them turned their eyes away, their moment of anger replaced with shame. This feeling continued to grow inside them, as even with their gazes aside they could see Naruto's lips and eyes spread wide, until he was giving them a glare fiercer than anything the Kyuubi could ever hope to achieve. "YOU!"

If his memory was correct… Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina were their names. He had learned of them from a man named Takumi; the identities of the people who were none other than his own parents. Back then as well he had felt this great surge of anger. But at that time he had had no way of directing it. Now however was a different situation. Though he now had someone to direct those feelings too, what he lacked was the capacity to hold them in. This was made apparent as he rose to his feet, and broke out into a run and a scream that was filled with ill intent. Even as the person supposed to be his mother stepped in the way of the person supposed to be his father, he didn't slow down for an instant. That was why when the time came, he received the full brunt of her fist inside his stomach.

"GAGH!"

That punch would have been enough to send him flying back further than when he started, if not for the hand placed on his back by the very same person responsible for dealing him that painful blow. With no air in his lungs he collapsed to his knees, feeling all the strength leave his body. He looked to his side at the woman who had lowered herself with him, and saw the intention from the brief moment that her eyes were visible. "NO!" he cried, as his wrists were pulled into a vice grip. He struggled with all his might, but it was as well as futile against this person who was somehow even stronger. Even as he resisted his arms were pulled wide apart, and that woman's head dipped in past his line of vision. "DON'T COME NEAR-"

His body froze stiff, like he had been hit with a paralysis Jutsu far beyond his ability to resist. That woman… his mother… had released his wrists and wrapped her arms around his neck. He felt one hand gripping the back of his head, and the other holding onto his shoulder. He couldn't move against it no matter how hard he tried. Even as the Yondaime… his father… crouched down next to them with one hand on each of their shoulders, he found himself in an almost out of body experience. _"What… what is this?"_

Seconds passed like an eternity in his mind, each moment of this strange treatment lasting longer than realism could allow. For so long nothing seemed to be happening, nothing past the embrace his two parents were holding him in. He tried to hold onto his rage, he clung on it so tight. The hatred, the anger, the pain, all of it. He didn't want to lose those feelings, not when he had felt them for so long. Yet as he was imprisoned in the hold of his mother and father he found he just couldn't do it. He hung his head down, realising only when he could do nothing about it that he had rested it on his mother's shoulder.

"Don't… touch me…"

Even though he said that, neither of his parents were willing to honour his request. He tightened his jaw so much he was worried it might stay that way forever. But it was all that he could do to hold it in, these strange desires brewing from inside of- _"Huh?"_ he thought, as he suddenly felt something strange. A tickling sensation on his neck, just where his mother was resting her head. It rolled down the line between his skin and hers, leaving behind it a coolness that wasn't there before. The glare he was trying to maintain disappeared for shock, as he realised that his mother was crying.

"…Naruto."


	31. The truth of the past brings the

I managed to meet my minimum word count on time with this one, but came to realise that there was no way I could just wrap things up there. That's why this still hasn't returned to its proper update time; because it's over 6000 words long. Well since most of you don't read it as soon as it gets updated I don't think the exact moment it gets posted matters all that much. Even so, with a chapter like this I think any of you who immediately start reading will like what you see.

* * *

**The truth of the past brings the present into question**

The white veil lasted upon this moment like a toneless winter land, light shining everywhere and making this world lighter. The soundlessness that prevailed blanketed the area, requesting that nothing break its presence. But those were the only senses that offered out so little in contrast to what was being felt right now. The warmth of the touch that came from his mother's embrace, the discomfort of her tears falling down his neck. The grip of his father's hand upon his shoulder seemed firm, the look on his face indecisive. He understood well just what that felt like. Right now he didn't know what he was feeling at all.

"Naruto." Came the hushed voice of Namikaze Minato, the father of Uzumaki Naruto. He looked on at his son for the first time in over seventeen years, and like his son was unable to find anything he could do. Too much time had passed, with neither him nor his wife knowing enough about Naruto to really have anything they could say in this moment. In the end all he could do was turn his head away and lightly stroke his wife's head, turning his voice towards her instead. "Kushina… I don't have a lot of time here."

Naruto felt his mother's head on his shoulder, the rise and fall as she gave a small nod. Then, clearly unwillingly, she let go of Naruto and was helped back to her feet by Minato. Even then Naruto was still stunned, the feeling of his mother's touch remaining upon him. It took him a moment to snap out of this daze, but when he did he did it with a burst of energy. He shot to his feet and took several steps back, looking bewilderedly at his parents for being able to subdue him in such a way. "I… you…" he stammered, unsure of just what it was he wanted to say. "What are you doing here?"

"This is a countermeasure I set up in the case that something would happen regarding the Kyuubi's seal." Minato explained, immediately settling into the role of the person responsible for making these matters understood. There was no denying that he seemed a lot more comfortable with this than with trying to work out familial matters, a point which was probably aided by Naruto's reaction. He looked to Kushina with an expression of surprise, while his wife tried to steady her resolve. "But I never imagined that the time you went as far as eight tails would also be the same time you try to take control of the Kyuubi completely… I'm kind of glad."

These words managed to calm Kushina down with a smile, her unspoken concurrence. The look those two exchanged was hard for Naruto to look at, the single gaze that conveyed more than he could understand. Why were these two acting as if this was something good, something they were happy to be a part of? They didn't have the right to smile, or to look the least bit pleased. Even if they weren't totally relaxed, that wasn't enough for him to accept. Maybe these feelings were clear on his face, because as his parents looked at him again, their expressions turned back to shame.

"As much as I'd like to get these issues out of the way, I don't have that kind of time." Minato said, turning his eyes once again to Kushina. Naruto managed to notice the way his father only referred to himself when he said that, and wondered just what that meant. But before he could query this, Minato looked again at him with a forced sternness that silenced the question before it was asked. "Naruto, I know what's going on, and you have to listen to me. _Pein is wrong._"

Both he and Kushina anticipated a fierce reaction from their son, the impression given to them up to this point suggesting a strong one. But to their surprise Naruto's face became downcast; it didn't look like he planned on listening to them at all. "Pein is a product of the Second Great War, someone whose life and ideals are born from a cycle of hatred that he could never let go!" Minato continued, knowing that giving up was out of the question. "His idea of peace takes away the very things that give life meaning! If everyone followed his path, all they would feel was the fear of pain-"

"AND WHY THE HELL NOT?"

Minato and Kushina were both stunned by Naruto's cry; it seemed he could not ignore their words as he had wanted to. Hearing them say these things about Pein brought back all the anger he felt towards them, all the ill will he had never wanted to leave his mind in the first place. "WHY SHOULD ANYONE BE ALLOWED TO FEEL HAPPY WHEN OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO SHOULDER ALL THAT PAIN?" he yelled, his fingers curling up into fists that paled his knuckles. Even now he couldn't lift his eyes from the ground, in case looking at those two sapped his strength once again. "People like that… they should just die!"

_CRACK!_

He didn't even notice until it happened, but somehow he was once again struck by his mother. This time it was her hand across his cheek, a slap with enough impact to force his head to the side. There was already a visible mark, the burning pain placing him in a stunned state once again. "So everyone who feels happy while you are unhappy deserves to die?" she demanded, as her son met her fierce glare. That embrace from moments before, whatever that had been, clearly the feelings this woman had sent with them had nothing to do with this. "The reason you are who you are is because if that hadn't happened, those people would have been killed no matter _who_ they were!"

"Kushina!" Minato exclaimed, grabbing hold of his wife's shoulder. While he understood her feelings well, he knew that there was too much at stake and too little time to have a quarrel right now. All the same he looked into Naruto's eyes, seeing the defiance beginning to return. "Naruto, you know what pain is don't you? And you know what it's like when there's nothing you can do to stop it. It makes you angry right? It makes you hate. Well that's exactly what Konoha felt for you, as a symbol of the pain it had gone through in the past. Can you really blame them for being afraid of you, considering all that you have seen of this world so far?"

With the gazes of these two strong willed people upon him, Naruto couldn't help listening to their words. He told himself over and over that he couldn't possibly relate to those people, that there was _nothing_ from what he had seen to show anything more than he believed. Yet in doing so all he succeeded in doing was remembering the one person who had said similar things to him. _"You act so tough that you even fool yourself…"_ that woman had said, during what had maybe been his only experience of true kindness. Even then the words of that woman, Naomi, burned inside of him. _"Earlier I thought you were like an animal, but that's not true right? You really are just a boy after all."_

Being made to remember something like that at a time like this, it made Naruto once again feel that someone was being very unfair to him. That woman had also been a mother… what was it with parents and their ability to force you to reflect on yourself? All he could do was grit his teeth; no more could he bring himself to argue with these two. "Don't act like you can completely change who I am." He said, overcoming his own shock enough to speak levelly with his mother and father. "I've lived a whole other life than whatever it is you wanted for me… I'm not the person you could ever want me to be."

As he said these words, he looked both of his parents in the eye. Neither the two of them seemed too upset with his words; maybe they didn't blame him for being who he was after all. Since it ought to have been their roles to teach him who he should be, there was nothing they could say about how he had turned out. "You spoke to Jiraiya-sensei right?" Minato asked, taking one last stand in the hope his words would reach his resistant child. "I don't have any doubt in my mind. You are the person who must save this world from disaster… the disaster that will come from the revolution that Uchiha Madara intends to bring… but you know that's not the only threat. After all, those eyes don't belong in your bloodline."

Without knowing it, Naruto gaped suddenly at his father. Of all things he had expected to hear, he had never thought that _that_ would come to be mentioned. It was true then, that Jiraiya had trained the Yondaime Hokage? "But… how…" he began, his mind fading out of focus for a second. He recalled that woman who had forced this Nehangan upon him. Could it be that his father also knew something about that? "What do you know about them… Uchiha Madara and… _her?_"

"Not a whole lot I'm afraid." Minato replied, glad that the conversation was moving in a direction he could cope with. All the same that didn't make what they were discussing any easier to talk about. The truth was that there was very little of this situation that he _did_ understand. "If Madara has taken over the body of Pein, then there's no telling how far his power has gone. But he is a ruthless person, don't let your guard down around him for a moment."

That sort of went without saying, but all the same it was good that the idea was solidified like that. Minato looked aside with a troubled expression, as he thought over the other person Naruto had enquired about. "As for that woman, there's something off about her." He continued, trying not to look Kushina in the eye as he spoke of this. "But from the things she has said, and the things she has done, I can't help thinking that her involvement in this situation might not be so different from Madara. The fact that she gave you those eyes is suspicious enough… be careful."

And so he said another unhelpful thing, in his own opinion. It was clear to both his son and wife that he was not having an easy time of this, he had begun to look around for something important to bring up. Finally he seemed to settle on something, as his eyes briefly turned behind him. "That's right… listen, about the Kyuubi." He said, turning his sharp eyes back towards Naruto. "He could very well be involved with that woman. That's the feeling I get. That's why it's important that you conquer your darkness before facing him. Don't let him take control."

Even though this too was something Naruto didn't need to be told, all the same he felt begrudgingly invigorated by it. Knowing that there was no way to respond without giving mixed signals, he settled for a glare and a nod that would hopefully convey the meaning he wanted to get across. "Well… I'm afraid this is all I can do." Minato said, with a slight sigh of relief. He looked down at Kushina, who had turned on the spot to look up at him worriedly. For her, he gave a smile that aimed to wipe away any last doubts remaining. "I'll leave the rest to you."

"Minato…"

"Yo, Yondaime."

Both Minato and Kushina looked at Naruto in surprise at the fact he had something to say. Yet even though he appeared to want to speak, he was unable to look his father in the eye. That made them all the more wary, for they could not anticipate just where his next few words were going to lead. "You got it all wrong… it's not a world of pain I'm looking for." he said, rubbing the back of his head with clear discomfort. He wanted to meet Minato's gaze as he said this, but found that it was just too embarrassing. "What I want is to make sure no one has to carry the burden of other people… to make everyone understand each other… I guess."

In spite of his desire to keep his gaze full on, he couldn't help faltering at the end. He hated the warm feeling in his face, and prayed silently that it was not visible. Unfortunately however, as he glanced up at his two parents he had the misfortune of seeing his father's face break out into a broad grin. "That's great!" he said, with a cheer that Naruto was sure he himself had never properly attained. Was this what it meant to be at peace? "Heh, it's funny but, you sound just like Jiraiya-sensei!"

That single statement succeeded in ruining whatever mood Naruto had been getting into. In an instant he exploded, his arms flying in the air and his eyes bugging out incredulously. "WHAT THE HELL, DON'T COMPARE ME TO THAT OLD BASTARD!" he yelled out. But he was met with a great sense of irritation as all his words received was a chuckle in reply, before Namikaze Minato faded away into the light. At this, even Naruto couldn't keep up the rapidly gained fury. Especially not when he caught sight of his mother's forlorn expression.

There was a numbness in the air, now that Minato had taken his leave. Naruto avoided looking at Kushina, who couldn't take her eyes off of Naruto. Eventually he too could not keep his attention away, and he met her gaze with a heart full of uncertainty. "So… I… uh…" he murmured, kicking the ground lightly with his foot. He really had no idea what he was supposed to do at a time like this. Then again, was there a single person in the world who could easily talk to the parent they had thought to have been dead all their life? In the end he dug into the first thing he could focus on, even if it was something else entirely. "I guess I should deal with the Kyuubi."

He stepped around Kushina to look at the place the fox had been. Yet as he stared there he was forced to admit that he hadn't the slightest idea as to how he would get back to the beast. He almost felt stuck like this, this growing sense of unease. "Is it really that hard to be around me?" Kushina asked, triggering an instant reaction as Naruto whipped around. She smiled, but there was no fooling Naruto. He could still see the tears in her eyes, and the strained look that she wore. "I guess it would be… right?"

Naruto turned himself properly around, feeling uncomfortable from his mother's presence once again. In a way she was right; but that was only to be expected wasn't it? Though Naruto knew that that wasn't the only reason, and was surprised to find himself giving it so willingly. "It's not that… I just…" he mumbled, looking aside. For a while it seemed he didn't have any response at all, even to the point where Kushina's face began to fall even further. "I hate not doing anything… I get restless you know?"

Kushina blinked in surprise as her son said actually opened up to her a little. Even though he looked like that right now, she couldn't help breaking out into a smile of relief. Wiping away the tears on her face, she thought to try and see if there was any way she could close the gap between them further. "I see… you probably get that from me." She admitted, with a look of embarrassment that was shared by Naruto. She brushed her hair out of her face, trying to disguise the fact that her skin was becoming a similar shade. Like Naruto she couldn't seem to relax. "Well then… would you mind humouring a little request?"

A few minutes past since she asked that question, time that had gone by with not even a breath breaking the silence. Kushina had descended to her knees, looking down at her son's face peacefully. Naruto lay with his head in her lap, looking nowhere near as tranquil as she did. Even now his mind was racing with the same old questions. Why had he agreed to something so embarrassing? Why had his mother asked for such a thing? Just what was the point in this at all? Yet no matter how many times they passed through his brain, he knew he had no answers, and that he could not ask his mother about them.

"So… what sort of things do you eat?"

That voiced question succeeded in throwing aside all the ones floating in Naruto's head. He looked up at Kushina in surprise, wondering just what on earth could possess her to want to know something as strange as _that_? Nonetheless, by the look on her face he could tell she really wanted to know. So he swallowed his embarrassment, and decided that since he had already gone so far, humouring her further wouldn't cause much harm. "Well… I take what I can get I guess." He replied, thinking over the hunting trips that Kisame used to take him on. "I like ramen a lot… but I've been eating a lot of fresh meat lately too…"

Kushina waited patiently as he replied; from the look on her face it seemed she had been hoping to hear a little more than that. When she found that was it however, she let out a light laugh that she hid with her hand. "That's no good, you've got to try and eat other things too!" she said, in an almost cheeky tone. In spite of the attitude she was taking on, she seemed clearly happy to be saying these things, almost grateful for the opportunity. "Try and be healthier ok?"

Naruto however was still taken aback by the weird course this unexpected conversation seemed to be taking. He looked up at his mother's face and saw the affection in her eyes, affection that still pained Naruto to recognise. But more than that was the reason behind the things she was saying. Naruto was getting an idea about it. "… Ok." He quietly replied, lowering his gaze slightly so he no longer focused on Kushina's face. The things she was saying, and the things she was doing… they were the things Naruto had always thought a mother would do. Could it be that she wanted to do these things as a mother?

That seemed to be the case, for as he was soon to find out Kushina had much more to ask than simple dietary issues. She questioned him on a number of peculiar things, things that seemed so mundane to Naruto yet were apparently fascinating to his mother. Yet the longer they talked the easier he found it to talk, until somehow it reached the stage where Naruto didn't feel all that uncomfortable anymore. It was then however that Kushina decided to drop a big question on him, one that he was not prepared for in the least.

"Anyone… special to me?" he repeated, his blank expression bringing with it the first pause in a while. He gave it some thought, realising that this question should have been easier to answer than it was. The first person who came to mind was Gaara; the years they had spent under Kisame's tutelage had inevitably formed something of a bond between them both. But lately Gaara seemed more concerned with other matters… he never had been one to think much of connections with other people. Yagura and Utakata had initially been grateful to them both, but now they too were taking a stand offish position. Fuu and Han had very little to do with him really, and anyone else that came to mind he had not seen in a while. "No… I guess I don't."

For the first time since they had started talking, Kushina's smile slid from her face. She saw the faded look on her son and knew that his thoughts were going on a path she really didn't want their one and only meeting to go on. She placed a hand on his shoulder and gestured for him to rise. When he did that she placed her hands on his shoulders and his forehead against his. "Naruto… I know I don't really have the right, but I want you to make a promise for me." She said, her eyes just inches away from Naruto's. "Promise me that in this world you intend to create, there's a place where you can be happy."

For this the cheerfulness in his mother's face became a second, overtaken by an almost pleading nature. Though she still smiled, her lips were weak and her brow creased. This was more than something she could easily brush off if she was refused. Naruto didn't want to look at that expression, but the way his mother gripped him didn't allow him to look away. "I guess I am a selfish person after all." He responded, maintaining eye contact with only the greatest reluctance. "I don't wanna do anything that's gonna make me feel bad."

His response made Kushina laugh again, a laugh that made him even less relaxed. All the same it was enough to get him out of that awkwardness, as his mother moved back and allowed him some comfort at least. "Well I guess that's as much of that as I can afford." She said, as she rose to her feet. While Naruto did the same, with a confused expression, she turned around to look at the space behind her. There the wall of light seemed to fade, revealing with it the still struggling Kyuubi chained to the floor of its prison. "Let me help you with him now."

Naruto looked between his mother and the fox, caught by surprise at the offer extended to him. The chains that bound the fox were a result of Kushina's power, from what he could tell. In that case his mother had to be a powerful Kunoichi, to subdue the Kyuubi of all things. "Yeah… thanks." He said, unsure of any other way to express his gratitude. He stepped towards the opening to the seal, bringing himself into the Kyuubi's field of vision.

Kushina looked at her son from behind, her hands gripping each other as she looked over her child one more time. She tried to keep a chipper look, but her thoughts tainted it with sadness as she realised she couldn't hold back. "One more thing… before you go…" she said, her voice the smallest it had been so far. She didn't want to ask him this question, but knew that she could never rest easy without hearing an answer. "Your father and I… do you hate us?"

Naruto's body tensed at this question, sensing with it every feeling that passed in his mother's voice. He knew he had been right in his decision to keep his eyes ahead. If he had looked back then, it would only have lasted as long as it took to hear that question. Even now his hands balled up into fists, his teeth gritting tight together. "I… can't forgive you for what you did." He said, his voice slow and unsteady. Kushina's sad look grew ever more from this, her smile nothing more than a weak mask hiding her confirmed fears. "… But I don't hate you."

He felt his mother's eyes lift upon him once again, and with it came a lightness that seemed to affect the very place they stood in. Even without looking he could tell that she was happy to hear that, maybe even more than Naruto understood. This sense of happiness was followed with a charge that hit him stronger than that vague sense, yet also seemed to be a result of what his mother was feeling. By the looks of things his words had invigorated her.

"Let's see how you take this thing down."

At this Naruto smirked. He knew now just where it was that his personality came from. With that he was able to pump his still blood back to its volatile strength, and as a result force the adrenaline that came from demonstrating his power to someone he never thought he would be able to. "Make sure you pay attention then." He said, before breaking out into a run. "You're gonna like this."

He darted across the floor of the chamber, moving from side to side at such a rapid pace the Kyuubi could not track him. His hand reached up and grabbed onto the hilt of the Ekokaeten, pulling it around and holding it to the side. Just as he drew into close enough range, the Kyuubi opened its jaws and released a blast of chakra that Naruto couldn't hope to dodge. Instead he stabbed his sword into the ground, placing both hands upon it and generating the barrier that would nullify the Kyuubi's chakra.

Blazing hot chakra flew past Naruto, increasing the temperature around to the point where the air seemed to thin. This was no problem however, as Naruto wasn't using a physical body to begin with. The blast subsided and he pulled his sword out of the ground, slicing the distance apart before the Kyuubi could offer any further resistance. Even as he ran, Naruto whipped around in a spinning motion, before hurling the Ekokaeten high into the air. The massive blade flew high above the Kyuubi and arced, aiming to fall straight upon the beast's back. "SHADOW IMITATION JUTSU: RAIN OF STEEL!" Naruto yelled, throwing his hands together in the tiger seal.

A huge cloud of smoke burst high above the Kyuubi, who craned its neck to see what was happening. Its slit like pupil shrunk as it witnessed over a hundred copies of that giant blade fall from the sky, the points directing down towards the fox with a lethal glint. "TAJUU KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" came Naruto's voice again, bringing with it another stunning sight. For those hundreds of blades that appeared in the air, so appeared an equal amount of Naruto clones. These clones all banded together, reaching back with their arms and throwing their open hands down with the same orchestral cry. "FUUTON: REPPUSHOU!"

Those hundred blades were propelled by a force greater than gravity, as the strength of a hurricane caused them to descend on the Kyuubi no Yoko like a heavy drizzle. The demon's roar of pain shook the very ground it was tied to, sending a tremor in every direction. Naruto was only partially subjected to this treatment however, as his feet scarcely remained on the floor long enough to be affected by it. With his hands coming together in a quick string of seals, he created what had quickly become his favourite technique; the Shiroken.

The white lance of wind soared around his arm with such speed that it seemed to almost have solid mass. The tone cast out as Naruto flew at the Kyuubi, aiming to strike the fox in its defenceless throat. He leapt up onto one of the chains that held the monster down, using it as a foothold to get as close to that place as he could before the fox could overcome its pain. _"Good luck Naruto, this is as far as I can go."_ Rang out Kushina's voice, making Naruto falter for only a split second. He realised that her presence was fading away when the words she spoke reached not his ears, but his mind. _"Don't let anyone get you down. Even if I'm not here, I'll never stop supporting you. I love you."_

Those words were the last thing his mother had to give him. As her presence disappeared, so too did the chains that bound the Kyuubi to the floor. Naruto leapt just before his footing disappeared, flying towards the Kyuubi's neck even as the beast lowered its head. His eyes were hidden in shadows, but his white sabre shone brightly. It struck the surface of the Kyuubi's skin and cut through with no effort at all. Once more the fox let out a roar that was damaged by its throat being ripped apart. Blood and air gushed out from the tearing hole in a gory river, coursing through the Kyuubi's fur and dripping to the white floor below.

It was then that Naruto truly made his move. He dragged his arm down the Kyuubi's neck and along its chest, sheer momentum and vacuum from the Shiroken causing him to abseil down the demon's body and drop just before reaching its stomach. He ignored the Kyuubi's scream and ran on underneath it, aiming straight for one of the tails flailing from its owner's ordeal. Without so much as blinking he grabbed onto one of them, and used his free hand to blast enough wind to propel himself through the air.

He wasn't sure what he should have expected, but to his surprise he somehow lost his grip on the Kyuubi's tail, without ever letting go. What had replaced the fox's appendage was something bearing much the same shape. Naruto realised that what he gripped was the Kyuubi's chakra, which was still being pulled along with him. He landed on the ground with a skidding halt, turning around and planting his other hand upon the chakra tail. The Kyuubi hadn't quite managed to notice; its attention was on repairing the damage Naruto had done. It was no surprise that the nine tailed demon fox possessed surplus regenerative capabilities. If he didn't act fast, all his mother's efforts would be put to waste.

Finally the Kyuubi found out what was happening, and whirled around to throw at Naruto a look of hatred that would turn most men back into snivelling infants. Naruto could see the fox's flesh knitting back together even now. It had healed so fast that it could even afford an attack upon Naruto, in the form of a descending claw. Naruto, who was already being pushed to his limit in his tug of war with the Kyuubi's chakra, could do little more than watch as that massive hand bore down on him.

_BOOOOSH!_

The claw of the Kyuubi struck the ground with an earth shattering force, creating massive cracks in the surface of the metaphysical realm. Tremors cast out for a long while, causing even the Kyuubi's footing to quiver. The giant fox glared down at the place he had struck, his slit pupil shrinking even further. Centimetres away from his fur, with a darkened look on his face, Naruto stood strong. He had not stepped away from the strike of the Kyuubi; somehow the Kyuubi had missed.

"Impossible!" the fox barked, as Naruto continued to pull out its chakra. The boy seemed totally unperturbed by the huge claw embedded in the floor next to him, nor did the Kyuubi's glare concern him at all. This made the monster even more agitated, to the point where it was tempted to disregard its position and blast Naruto out of his illusionary existence. "There's no way you could have put enough in already!"

"Heh."

The nine tailed demon fox's shock gave Naruto a sense of pleasure, noted by the smirk that appeared upon his face. For a moment everything came to a pause on both sides, as the beast sensed the feelings of the boy before him. "Ever since I looked at you with these eyes, and added to the seal upon you, _I've_ been channelling _my_ power into _you_." He said in an almost enticing tone. "My mental energy has been flowing inside you, giving you the one thing you lacked; _a mind_. _My _mind."

The Kyuubi snarled at Naruto's revelation, realising that it wasn't enough to just crush this boy. Along the tail of chakra that Naruto held a black aura slipped along in an infectious manner. This was the will of the Kyuubi that Naruto had been warned about. If that was allowed to take him over, then the Kyuubi could release itself for good. It was for this very purpose that Naruto had prepared, this very thing that he was ready for. _"I know I have yet to overcome my inner darkness."_ He thought, as he stepped around and dragged more of the Kyuubi's chakra out. _"But if it's like this, then I can probably do it anyway."_

With a loud cry, Naruto furthered his efforts to the maximum. His eyes stretched wide open as the Kyuubi's darkness reached him, turning the chakra entirely black. He could feel the hatred that burned inside the Bijuu like a signal flame inside of him, making him feel the cruel desires that the Kyuubi did too. But rather than fight off these desires, Naruto treated them like they weren't even there. It was unusual, but he continued to pull on the chakra even as his yellow eyes darkened to a dull colour.

It wasn't until he had managed to take out around half of the Kyuubi's chakra that he finally reacted. Whipping his head around towards the Kyuubi, he gave the fox a powerful glare that shone even through his darkened eyes. _"What is this?" _the Kyuubi incredulously thought, as Naruto's pull grew stronger than ever. _"He can't be… he's channelling my own hate against me? How is that possible?"_

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAA-AGH!"

The fox was then distracted from its target by something that had slipped its mind entirely. Its memory was returned to it however, as the one hundred Naruto clones that had staged the first attack ran in from all sides, standing between it and their creator. These near countless clones all stood in single file, slamming their palms together before planting them on the back of the person in front of them. "FUUTON: KAMIKAZE!" called the synchronised voices, all of which were drowned out by the effect of their Jutsu.

A giant blast of wind exploded from the palms of the clone at the very front, so powerful that every single clone behind it was destroyed from the creation of it. This blast of wind hit the Kyuubi with more force than could be measured on any scale, and sent it hurtling back with no hope of slowing down soon. Its entire skeleton was crushed by the impact, but these wounds hardly mattered. Naruto had kept his grip on the Kyuubi's chakra, which remained even as the beast was sent back.

The nine tailed demon fox rolled across the floor, unable to even howl in pain as its already snapped bones crumbled even further. It landed flat on its back, yet somehow managed to lift its head to glare at Naruto. That was all it could do however, as it was then struck by something that it was sure was beyond Naruto's capabilities. From above fell giant blades, big enough that even the Kyuubi could grip the hilts. But it was given no such chance, as these blades pierced through its hands, legs and stomach.

Within moments the fox was impaled into the ground, a final one penetrating it in its own mouth. As a lake of blood began to flow from its wounds, so did pillars land around the Kyuubi's body. These pillars formed a huge cage that imprisoned the fox, even if it had no way of doing anything as it was. _"That boy…" _the Kyuubi thought, as once again the darkness fell upon him. _"Even I couldn't tell just how cruel he really was."_

From the smoke triggered by the collapse of the clones, something appeared that wasn't there before. It was Naruto, true enough, but not as he had been before. A thin cloak of chakra covered his body, a red so dark it was almost black. It seemed as if Naruto himself had become an embodiment of some hellish flame, with only one thing being truly visible from it. His eyes had changed once again, turning a fierce shade of orange with slit like pupils that seemed to glow even behind this dark veil. These eyes shone upon the Kyuubi's new prison, and from his unseen mouth spoke words that the fox would never forget.

"Kyuubi… I'll turn your power into my own… and turn your hatred into my resolve. You might as well rest, _'cos I'm gonna make the world forget you ever existed at all._"


	32. I must confess my intentions

Finally updating a chapter when I want it updated... and in my opinion a pretty good follow up to the last. I get this sense that things are drawing to a close, so I'm tempted to make these next few chapters as badass as possible. It shouldn't be too hard, considering what Naruto has gained recently.

* * *

**I must confess my intentions**

The light of the seal faded out into a darkness both full and cold, lingering like a corporeal backdrop in the mind of the boy. The scent of the Kyuubi's blood was replaced by the dampness of the night, the first kiss of winter embracing the high hills. As consciousness returned to his physical body, Naruto let out a quiet breath. The chill air upon his skin could not cool his warmed body, neither his blood nor his heart. The faint exhaustion he had felt at the start of this ordeal was replaced with the awareness of a stone guardian, no detail escaping his ever vigilante notice. It was this very state that had him keep his eyes closed, for opening them would only disrupt what he could feel was going on around him.

There was a presence here not belonging of this world, a darkness that was neither human, beast nor any entities of chakra. It was something Naruto recognised well, in spite of that things efforts against him. He already knew what must be happening around him. Gaara, Yagura, Utakata, Fuu, Han. None of them were reacting to what was going on. That meant that they would not at any stage attempt to stop this woman whose arms were draped over his shoulders, her head resting just next to his. The ice like touch numbed his skin, but burned into his mind like a silhouette in a blinding light, or a fire in the night.

"How very scary you are dear child." Spoke the woman from the shadows, a hushed pleasure in her ubiquitous voice. A further dusk was cast upon Naruto as she moved around to his front, blocking what little light made its way through his closed eyelids. This being had no breath to touch him, but he felt sure nonetheless that her face was mere inches from his own. He remained perfectly still, even as he felt her hands grace the back of his neck. "I was beginning to doubt you would ever seek that power… I'm happy that you finally have. Does this mean that you are going to play then?"

She awaited Naruto's answer with a growing smile, feeling the ill will from inside this boy's very soul. The weight of his consciousness was delicious, almost orgasmic. Though he stayed so still, it seemed only to make him seem all the more volatile; an explosion of power held in the stasis of his adamant resolve. It was enough to make her shiver. Oh how she wanted him to just release those feelings, so that she could witness the destruction that he would surely bring. If all it took was a little goading, then she could easily indulge. A slither of smoke snaked from her arms, and drifted before Naruto's nose. With the faintest inhale she was inside of him, collecting in his mind and triggering the fuse to the explosive that was this boy.

Naruto held that breath inside of him, sensing the woman's presence now inside of him. It whispered for him to do battle with those around him, to release all of his power and rip them apart. Then, when they were erased from this world, to turn to the village of Keishigakure and bring it to dust. These thoughts were pushed into his wake mind, whispering to him "this is your desire". In response, the lids of his eyes separated a crack, slowly widening before this woman. Upon this, she spoke: "So what is it you wish to-"

BAMF!

Naruto's eyes snapped open wide, the fire of his iris and the slit of his pupil blazing upon this woman like an inferno of contempt that even she could not remain unresponsive of. Her smile became totally reversed under this hellish gaze, her ethereal heart stopping in her ghostly chest. To her speechless realisation, _she_ was paralysed by _him_. Both the cruelty and passion in those blazing orbs set her soul alight, charring her insides and making her choke in shock.

With a slow and steady hand, Naruto placed his touch upon her chest. The woman's face twitched down to where he touched, her eyes fixed upon her breast. If her body could, she would have paled. The gaping hole that appeared there just a moment later had been created with no visible effort at all. Without even the slightest gasp breaking through her vaporous lips, he dissipated into the air as smoke in a non existent wind. Before she even understood what had happened to her, she was driven away from this very world, and left Naruto to his own presence.

The blond boy lifted himself to his feet without the use of his hands, and cast his fiery eyes upon those around him. The Jinchuuriki were each placed a hundred yards away from him, working hard on the containment seal that had been crafted for the purpose of stopping him should he have lost to the Kyuubi no Yoko. At the moment however, in spite of their distance, he could see that all of them were frozen in their place. It appeared that woman had stopped them from continuing the seal, also in the case that he failed and the Kyuubi was unleashed.

With a release of chakra he triggered a chain reaction upon the seal at his feet, sending the force of the Kyuubi out in the five directions to shock the other Jinchuuriki awake. It took him but a moment to succeed in this, and a few more for the Jinchuuriki to become aware of themselves. Then all he had to await was their arrival, as they realised he had finished whatever it was he had been doing. By the time they did this he had already shaken off the chill that woman had placed upon him, and stood as his own person without the taint of her presence.

The others finally reached him, coming to a stop just metres away in each direction. Of the five of them Fuu was the only one not to wear a stunned look. Her lacking power as a Jinchuuriki kept her ignorant to what the others were sensing. If someone like her could feel what they were feeling, she may very well have been frozen in fear. As for the others, they could not deny what they sensed coming out of Naruto's body. The one who most recognised this was Gaara, who was faced with the full force of Naruto's infernal eyes.

From the frozen look on the nigh emotionless Gaara, coupled with the terrified looks of Yagura and Utakata soon after, in just mere seconds Naruto was put aside from the other Jinchuuriki once again. Han and Fuu had stepped around to see what caused such discord, and from then even the oft blank Fuu knew that something was wrong. "Did he lose?" she asked, unable to avert her gaze from Naruto's incandescent vision. This was the question that none of the other Jinchuuriki had an answer for; they themselves were asking much the same thing.

"As if that'd happen."

Everyone suddenly blinked their surprise as Naruto's voice came out low and husky. They had expected him to be ecstatic at success, yet by the sound of things he wasn't in the mood for playing around. Though it was true that none of them quite knew what happened inside the seal, at the same time they didn't imagine _that_ much could have changed. That was why as Naruto turned to his left and began to walk, they were unable to immediately follow.

"As I said, the five nations are going to watch over Keishi under the impression that doing so will lead them to Akatsuki." He said, coming to a stop just a few metres ahead. He looked out through the valleys to the village of Keishigakure, just barely visible far down below. Torches lit up the small place, like a signet for those welcome there. "While they're doing that, we're gonna go after Akatsuki ourselves, attack them before they can get the Jinchuuriki that aren't affiliated with us."

This seemed not to be what the others had wanted to hear. From the sound of things all that had changed was that Naruto was now stronger than ever, but his plans had been totally unaffected. Taking resolution in the fact that Naruto had not the experience to control his newfound power, Yagura stepped forward with a glare. "Didn't we already say that we're not going to be doing that?" he demanded, feeling the others behind him silently backing him up. "Are you still going to act selfishly even now?"

Naruto seemed untroubled by the outburst of the Sanbi Jinchuuriki, almost looking like he hadn't heard anything at all. However the silence that came was ripe with conflict, augmented by the still calm breathing of the Kyuubi's container. "All right then, tell me _Mizukage-sama_." He said, turning his head over his shoulder. The light in his eyes looked fiercer than ever with his face like that; the crease to the brow and the tightening of the jaw. "To stop Akatsuki from getting all nine of the Bijuu… to make sure they can't get all of us… what would be the most effective method of doing that?"

This question brought Yagura to a stop. Not only being called by that name, but by the force in which Naruto asked it he couldn't help but know that his leader was not going to back down. He thought over the answer for a moment, and like most of the Jinchuuriki behind him his expression became distressed. "If Akatsuki really needs each and every one of us then…" he began, speaking purely for the benefit of Fuu, who most likely didn't understand. "All we would have to do is kill one of the Jinchuuriki."

Naruto turned his eyes back ahead towards the village, giving no clear inclination as to what he thought of such an idea. He had to admit he was impressed; he never imagined Yagura to have the guts to actually say something like that out loud. "To stop Akatsuki, it's as easy as one of us dying." He confirmed, his eyelids drooping just a little. With that his fire-like eyes seemed to dim a little, as if it reflected on his own feelings. "Though I'm not in favour of that idea. But that's the alternative. If you're not with me, then like it or not at least one of us is going to die tonight."

The way he said such a thing, a tone so flat and plain, it felt almost as if either option was viable to him. That was what caught most of the Jinchuuriki, what put them on guard right away. But they were further shocked as from their very midst stepped out none other than Gaara. The sand wielding Ichibi Jinchuuriki walked over towards Naruto, standing by his side and looking out to the village. "It looks like you've finally found your resolve." He said, speaking so that the others behind couldn't hear. He slipped his hand into his duster and pulled out a small scrap of paper, which he surreptitiously handed over to Naruto. "This arrived earlier."

Naruto cast a fleeting look to Gaara, before opening the scrap of paper and studying what was written inside. He kept his bright eyes there for several long moments, the darkness around making them almost the only visible thing there. When he had finally satisfied his thoughts, he tossed the piece of paper aside like it didn't even matter. "Let's go back." He said, resuming his walk towards Keishigakure. Gaara paused just long enough to gesture for the others to follow, before the six of them headed back to their village.

* * *

The ill wind swept over the ground, throwing the scrap of paper along the green grass. It soon became stuck as it hit a rock, some small stones weighing it to the forest floor. There it lay open, just as the clouds divided and the light of the moon shone upon it. In harsh writing, there was a short, yet deep message written on that scrap of paper. The message read "It's time for your final exam."

The beaten road seemed foreboding in the night, suggestions of disturbing its rest discouraged by the claws of the bare trees. The puddles on the ground reflected the yellow moon, ripples casting cruel smiles amidst the blackness. Branches creaked in the air and dropped the last of their leaves, the dry husks of nature falling in amongst the thorns of the bushes below.

Neji's breath condensed in the air in a cold mist, hindering his vision in an ironic fashion. His steps were long and quick, though nothing past a brisk walk. Though the weather was little trouble to him he was filled with the desire to move on, to get to his destination as quickly as possible. With the company he kept, and the person who was undoubtedly watching over said company, time was not something he believed to be a luxury right now.

Even though this lacking light must have equated to total blindness to the already hindered Uchiha Sasuke, that person walked on without a word of complaint. That was one of the few things Neji could commend the Uchiha for, yet at this moment it was his most frustrating trait. If he would just ask to stop for the night then Neji could tell him to catch up, and soon be rid of the feeling of prying eyes. As it was it was all he could do to-

"_Hn!"_ he thought, wincing suddenly and grabbing his own throat. He felt an odd, burning sensation as if he were suffering some sort of acid reflux. This sickening feeling slipped up the back of his neck and through his brain, searing it from the inside. Nothing logical could explain this out of the blue agony, yet even so Neji's thoughts were being haunted by images he had no desire to bring forth. His pain kept coherent thought from gathering, and so those images became what his awareness clung to. _"Uzumaki Naruto… Konohagakure… the magatama?"_

Sasuke came to a stop a meter or two ahead of Neji, slow to realise that his travelling companion was no longer walking. It took him a moment to focus on Neji in this low light; he appeared to be hunched over for some unusual reason. "Is something the matter?" he asked, without any real tone of concern in his voice. The nearest thing to that was his urge to continue on, to get to this place Neji was headed and find out the same thing as the Hyuuga. "Do you want to stop?"

At first Neji totally ignored Sasuke's queries, his head still tainted with that migraine. It took a painful few seconds for that irregularity to disappear, and when it did Neji certainly did not miss it. He lifted his head and felt privately glad that Sasuke would not be able to read his expression. The contorted look he felt himself wearing did not display the air he wished around himself. He managed to straighten himself up, but the fowl look upon his visage would not easily dissipate. "I have had a change of heart, there is other business that must be attended to before I meet with Sabaku no Gaara." He said, looking around to get a better sense of position.

Sasuke, possessing none of the pride that infected Neji, made no attempt to hide the scowl that appeared on his already darkened face. Of the many things he hated, one of the foremost was putting off the things he desired. _He _wanted to find this Gaara even more than Neji did, to find out just how that person was affiliated with Itachi. However, there was one other thing he wanted that bound him to this person, until the necessary time came. And so there was only one thing he could say, one question he could pose. "So where to now?"

"Konohagakure… that is where we are going."

* * *

No one else spoke to Naruto that night, but everyone knew exactly where he was. The roof of the main office emanated a dangerous chakra that could only be his. The moon had travelled far across the sky, dawn soon approaching, yet there he was training silently. There wasn't a person among the Keishigakure forces who knew just what kind of training he was undergoing; even the Jinchuuriki had no clue. The last person to see him was Gaara, and all he had witnessed was Naruto sitting resolutely, his great sword gripped in his hands. Whatever he was doing, possibly only Kisame could know what it was.

The other Jinchuuriki took advantage of Naruto's preoccupation to do something they really should have a while ago. They situated themselves in a bar specially crafted for Shinobi who had to work during the dark hours. It was a quaint place of course, as at this time there were few Shinobi who weren't working that chose to stay awake. This meant that for the most part the bar was entirely there's, excepting a couple other small groups who were either returning from mission or were about to depart.

The purpose of this reclusive gathering was of course to speak of the person bringing the most worrisome changes to the village. Short talks had been all they could attain in the past regarding this subject, but now they made a point of having each and every one of them present to make sure that nothing was lost in translation. Even Fuu had built up the energy to last through this, groggy though she looked. Yagura had told her that there was no reason to force herself, but even she was concerned, and refused to step out.

"Naruto has always been a very radical person, taking a direction like this isn't beyond the kind of things he would do." Gaara said, folding his arms together and sitting up straight. Even though he was the last to arrive, he was the one who started the conversation they intended to have. As the previous leader of Yoinokuchi, it seemed only right that he be the one taking the reigns during something like this. "It seems unlikely that he will change his mind at this point."

"But to do something like this after how far we've come…" Yagura replied, his hands linked before him and his expression unsettled. He had recently been forced to accept that Naruto far surpassed him as a Shinobi, and now it was beginning to look like he had been bested even as a Jinchuuriki. The things Naruto had done in such a short time truly terrified even someone as cold as him. "This village… is its worth to him only as a mild interest?"

"I can't quite agree with that, Naruto isn't the sort to do something and abandon it for something else; at least not without a good reason." Utakata said, leaning on the round wooden table and looking directly at his closest friend. He himself only knew Naruto's upfront nature; the way that guy presented himself when there was nothing much to worry about. "At first we never really relied on him even though that was what he wanted. It's because of this that he's had to use such unorthodox methods to make his presence known. It sounds almost childish, but in a way it's like a bid for attention."

With no argument cast against this point, the rest of them soon grew silent once more. Certainly Naruto liked to make himself known; even Fuu was quieter than him most of the time. Thinking about it like that made them feel bad; could all this trouble have been avoided if they had just compromised with him a little more? Maybe then things wouldn't have turned out this way, a total opposition on Naruto's part. Then the purpose of this meeting was clear; how to get Naruto to be willing to accept the compromise.

"It's not like all of us need to go and do this thing he has planning right?" asked Fuu, taking the naïve position once again. She didn't like to say it, but she never really liked Naruto at all. At first he seemed like an obnoxious buffoon who just did stupid things because he was an idiot. But then she had been forced to see that he was not so shallow; that he was the way he was because of what he had gone through. That struck a little too close to home, and as such was the reason she often distanced herself from him. "Besides, if we're all there and Akatsuki set a trap for us, there will be nobody to do anything about it."

"And then there's _him_ to think about." Yagura added, casting a glance over to the bar at the far side of the room. The person he was referring to was none other than Kirabi, who amazingly enough had already recovered from his wounds. Now that person sat nearest to the bartender, ordering the largest flagons that the owner possessed. Not a word had come out of him since he had woken up, nor had he shown any interest in partaking in Yoinokuchi's activities. "I think it's a little too soon to consider him an ally."

"We'll discuss that later." Gaara replied, dropping that subject before the main one became forgotten. Kirabi was not someone they had the time to consider right now, not when something was clearly wrong with a person who was maybe even more dangerous. "I have little doubt in my mind that Naruto took in more than just the Kyuubi's chakra. By the sound of things he let some of its will inside of him as well. If that's the case then it may be safe to assume that whatever choices he makes won't be subtle. But all the same if he took in the Kyuubi's will it's because he wanted to. Most likely he's-"

Before he could finish what it was he was saying, the door to the bar opened suddenly. Everyone turned their eyes to the entrance, where they were surprised to see none other than the devil they spoke of. Naruto stepped into the bar, his radiant eyes scanning the room and locking onto the other Jinchuuriki. The shadows cast upon his face by the light hanging over his head did nothing to dim his eyes; it seemed that short of closing them they could never be totally unseen. The others wondered for a moment if Naruto even knew how intimidating he looked right now. Then again, the force of the expression that went along with that gaze certainly suggested a connection. It was the words he spoke then, that solidified the idea.

"He's here."

* * *

The blinding eye of the moon had finally settled beneath the canvassed horizon, replaced with the breaking dawn sun. The air turned crisp and fresh as the faintest tints of warmth were embraced by the cold gathering around the broad and beautiful lake. The needles of the pine trees rustled in the cool breeze, whispers from the outskirts telling of morning's arrival. Ever so slightly the first twitters of the early birds could be heard, as they shook the remnants of sleep from their feathers. The dawn seemed as quite and peaceful as this place had ever known it. That was why as the creatures who inhabited this lake stirred; their attention drew to the gathering by the waterside.

This place was a few miles south of Keishigakure, a lake formed from the river that flowed through that village. Other streams and even a couple more rivers were bound to and from this place, but those were each irrelevant. From the edge of the water, with great distance apart, their stood a single man against a group of six. From this group stepped out two, while the rest headed back as per requested. Soon all who were visible were those three people; Uzumaki Naruto, Sabaku no Gaara, and Hoshigake Kisame.

The grey skinned ninja from Akatsuki looked over his two students, seeing from but a glance the great change that had come over the two of them. With each passing moment his grin grew ever wider, his sharp teeth glistening from the sun directly ahead of him. This was the first time he had been reunited with these two in almost half a year. There was no telling just what he felt with the way they looked now, but from appearances it was by no means negative thought that gathered in his mind.

"Samehada's getting pretty excited… your chakra levels have risen impressively." He said, his harsh voice coming out in a hiss of longing. The cold eyes of Gaara and the blazing eyes of Naruto were both a treat for him to see. Neither of them contained the slightest shred of doubt, and both of them looked like they knew full well what was about to happen. "You've become your own men… it's enough to make me as your sensei feel almost proud."

Though there may have been a time where Naruto would have been ecstatic to hear such a thing, right now no such image appeared on his face. Even though he appeared almost the polar opposite of Gaara, they shared the common feature of looking totally unaffected by the words Kisame spoke. "It's been a long time, sensei." Naruto said, the warmth in his tone containing absolutely no traces of pleasure. There was only raw, unfiltered determination, and a longing so strong it seared from his very eyes. "We've been looking forward to catching up."

Naruto's spoken words drew the attention of Kisame, who placed even greater focus upon his prized student. His tiny eyes narrowed even further as he searched for something no regular person could find. In a manner that seemed almost like a second thought, he lazily waved his hand in the air. Then, suddenly, he disappeared in a flicker as two forms appeared where he had stood. Two Shinobi stood their ground in place of Kisame, two Shinobi who were well recognised by one of the ninja who had stayed further back. "That's… Suigetsu and Juugo?" Yagura exclaimed, his voice barely travelling to Naruto and Gaara's ears.

"Let's see how much you've grown before we really begin."

Kisame's ill fated words came out from somewhere in the shadows, yet reached Naruto and Gaara as if he was standing right in front of them. In time to this Suigetsu pulled out a pair of warped blades, while Juugo lowered his stance. It seemed that Kisame intended his two students to do battle with his subordinates, though his reasons weren't entirely clear. All the same neither Naruto nor Gaara refused this challenge, just as neither in the slightest viewed it as such. Naruto gripped the hilt of the Ekokaeten as the cork popped out of Gaara's gourd. The small wooden lid hadn't even touched the ground before the four Shinobi present had disappeared.

Naruto and Suigetsu landed on the water's surface, somewhere near the centre of the lake. The two swordsmen looked at each other with infallible confidence, though only Suigetsu expressed it with a smile. "I didn't notice before, but that's one of the seven swords ain't it?" he called out, spinning his twin swords around and around. "Talk about luck, my first real fight since teaming up with Kisame and I get his best student! And once we're finished, I'll have that sword as well!"

Not giving Naruto the chance to reply, Suigetsu broke out into a run. Naruto mirrored this and together they erased the distance between them in but a moment. With a fierce slash Naruto forced Suigetsu to use both his blades to save himself; already the bloodthirsty nin seemed to realise this fight was more than he had expected. "Last I saw you, you were with Hyuuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto said, before taking a leap back. He landed on the water at an angle and immediately sprung himself back off, going on the offensive again with a cut to one of Suigetsu's blades that quickly became a block against the second.

"Those two ran off a while back, I got nothing to do with either of them any more." Suigetsu retorted, quickly sidestepping Naruto and attempting a cross slash. Naruto however had already created distance, holding the Ekokaeten in a simple kendo stance. Using such a basic position was an insult that only another swordsman could comprehend, and one that worked wonders on the aggressive Suigetsu. He pulled his two blades together and surprisingly enough connected them at the hilts, forming a double bladed staff of sorts. "Last I heard Sasuke was going to crush Konoha, not that I give a damn."

Once again the two hot blooded swordsmen met each other mid way, blades clashing into a struggle. Naruto held his blade against Suigetsu's, staring deep into the white haired ninja's eyes. It seemed that for a second time he brought this person to a sweat, and just like before seemed not to care in the least. "Konoha…" he repeated, weighing his blade down further upon Suigetsu's. "Thanks."

Then, without the slightest show of effort, he brought his blade down with such force Suigetsu's sword was cut entirely in half. Suigetsu stared up at Naruto in shock, before letting out a gasp of pain as blood sprayed from the huge slash dealt across his entire torso. The look on his face spoke his thoughts as clear as the sun rising on the horizon. He told himself that what had just happened was impossible. Yet Naruto gave him the realty, by pushing his hand into Suigetsu's chest. In an explosion of wind the twin bladed swordsman was shot backwards, soon disappearing from sight completely.

Naruto turned his back on the place Suigetsu disappeared, sensing another presence enter his proximity. Before him stood Kisame once again, but not Kisame as he knew him. This man wore none of the excitement that Naruto's sensei often possessed, just the malice of someone who was in no mood to mess around. The shadows obscuring his eyes and the tightness of his lips were enough to show this, though Naruto could see more than that with the eyes he now possessed.

"As I thought… Hozuki Suigetsu cannot be simply cut like that." Kisame said, his gruff voice possessing a growl of discontent. Slowly the giant ninja raised his head, delivering unto Naruto a glare that far upstaged what his student could return even with those flaming eyes. Naruto could see the fierce feelings inside his sensei, and knew none of them stemmed from concern for his felled subordinate. "… Why can't I hear Eko-kun's voice?"

Kisame awaited a reply with growing impatience, while Naruto looked at him with a little less blankness. He straightened up and lowered his sword to the side, looking at Kisame almost as if he had just noticed his sensei for the first time. "I don't know what you're talking about." he replied, his words as cool as the breeze drifting past him. "Both of us are right here, _Kisame no Danna._"


	33. God of the waters hear my prayer

Whew, this one took a lot out of my imagination. Still, I think I managed to keep up the standard I have met with the last few chapters, so there shouldn't be any complaints as far as I'm aware. Well, I'm finding myself with less and less to say in these ANs, so I'll just let you get on with what you want to do.

* * *

**God of the waters hear my prayer**

The fierce eyes shared between sensei and student burned on the lakes surface, increasing the temperature of the atmosphere to a choking level. Naruto looked upon the man who had taught him everything he knew, and the person who now opposed him. Kisame stared at his best student, and saw the defiance in Naruto's fiery glare. The words passed between the two hung in the cold air, bringing with it a contemptuous greeting that sparked conflict once more.

Kisame had no idea what Naruto had done; quite possibly he had never achieved such a thing himself. Though he had known enough to send Naruto to Uzu no Kuni, Kisame was not the sort of person to needlessly attain power. As such what he saw was not something he understood, and not something he was pleased to see. Yet his displeasure was Naruto's indifference; neither ninja were much concerned about many points outside their main focus.

"So that's what that lead turned out as huh?" Kisame murmured, reaching behind and gripping the skull tipped hilt of the Samehada. He brought his big bandaged blade down to his side, holding it at the ready just as Naruto did. The spark in the air ignited into flames that surrounded these two swordsmen, boiling their blood and setting their senses alight. "Well I won't say that's not interesting… but moreover, why is it that your killer intent contains not the slightest hint of bloodlust?"

Naruto turned the Ekokaeten in his hand, the shining blue blade reflecting Kisame upon itself. From the shadows cast upon his back, Naruto let out a cool smile that showed his sharpened teeth, his eyes dimming in his contentedness. "I dunno Kisame-sensei… why don't we find out together?" he asked, as his chakra levels rose suddenly. "Besides, I want you to see just how far I've come. Sorry, but I won't go full strength just yet."

These challenging words were enough to start the battle that would inevitably be the final one for one of these two. As Naruto dared his sensei to this deadly dance, Kisame could not bring himself to refuse. Both of them held their blades out to the side, in the same stance, and emitted their full combat desire. Without so much as a further word shared between them, the two broke into a run and began their first and last true battle.

Water sprayed aside with each pounding step as Naruto and Kisame met each other head on, bringing their swords around with earth shattering force. The hilt of the Samehada bent and allowed the bandaged blade to gain greater momentum. Naruto placed his free hand on the flat edge of the Ekokaeten and re-regulated the chakra in his feet. As his master's sword hit his own, he glided around the water with it and was spun around to Kisame's rear. There, before his sensei could escape, Naruto slashed hard. "HA!"

Kisame soared forward across the lake's surface, whipping around to face Naruto once again. He reached behind him and touched his back, feeling the cut that had been made across only his cloak. "A swordsman's greatest shame is a cut to his back…" the former Kiri Shinobi growled through gritted teeth, as he placed both hands upon his blade's hilt. "I thought I taught you better than to play around in battle?"

"That hurts sensei; I'm totally serious about this." Naruto responded, resting his sword across his shoulder. Even though he said such a thing, the grin on his face was undeniable. If it weren't for how blank his eyes looked right now, it would seem almost as if he were lying. However that also grinded against Kisame's nerves. "I've been waiting for this fight for years now; you think I'd waste it by playing stupid games?"

The grunt from Kisame clearly voiced his doubt, but his interest in conversation was not that great right now. Once again he met his student head on, bringing down the massive Samehada's full weight upon Naruto's defence. Once again however his student took advantage of both the terrain and Samehada to send himself shooting underwater. Kisame bared his teeth at this second trick, bringing his hands together in a rapid string of seals. "Suiton: Suijinheki!" he called, creating an instant reaction beneath his feet as the water he stood upon fired upwards in a tall fountain.

Kisame stood atop this pillar of water and was about to make his next move when Naruto reappeared below. Running up the water column at great speed, Naruto wore the broadest of grins as he neared his sensei, before disappearing inside the water wall itself. Kisame had no other choice than to abandon his platform as Naruto fired out at it with the Ekokaeten held above him like a giant arrowhead.

"_He's faster than before, to use my own technique to power up his attacks."_ Kisame thought, as he landed back on the water's surface. Naruto allowed him little time to recuperate, and soon they were locked in combat once again. Their swords each clashed with each other again and again, the sounds ringing out across the entirety of the lake that made their battleground. _"Very well then, if he wishes to use Eko-kun's full potential, then I will use the Samehada's as well."_

Countering a downward slash from Naruto with an uppercut, Kisame created distance with his young opponent via a kick to the gut that took Naruto off his feet. Naruto slid across the water, placing a hand on his gut. Yet the look he gave Kisame was not of someone who was suffering great pain. "How exciting… you look a little formidable." Kisame said, as the bandages around the Samehada began to loosen. As he brought his weapon around, the white coverings fell off completely and revealed the blade underneath. A large mass covered totally in charcoal coloured scales, looking a hell of a lot larger than when it was contained. At the very tip of it, where the blade was at its broadest, a pair of jaws spread open in a monstrous grin. "Samehada can hardly contain itself."

Naruto watched the true form of the Samehada, wondering just how something so immense had been contained beneath those loose bandages. That however was soon deemed unnecessary thinking, and was soon replaced with raw battle instinct. He and Kisame both slashed out at each other, with Naruto charging the Ekokaeten with enough Fuuton chakra to cut through a wall of steel. Yet to his shock, just as the two blades neared the Samehada _dodged the attack_, ducking instead under and around. _"With the chakra nullifying field of the Ekokaeten, there is no chakra present for Samehada to consume."_ Kisame thought, as his blade reached around behind Naruto. _"But like this he won't have any choice."_

_TSSSSSH!_

"GUAH!" Naruto cried out, as the Samehada was fiercely retracted, scoring deep gouges into the flesh behind him. His blood poured openly into the waters below, turning it a deep red. The pain caused his eyes to blaze further, and Kisame knew that he had closed his barrier to heal. Even now he could feel the spike in Naruto's chakra that confirmed he was utilising the Kyuubi's power, and then also knew that he was at his weakest in this moment. Taking advantage of this, he struck out with the Samehada once again.

This time Naruto wasn't so arrogant; he leapt back to avoid that shark skin sword's attack. With the distance he attained he allowed his chakra to spike enough that his wounds recovered faster than normal. But Kisame wasn't going to just let him heal and soon he realised that the conjunction of his barrier and healing ability was not going to work. If he wanted to keep fighting, he had no choice but to avoid using the barrier unless he really needed it. _"Good move sensei."_

Naruto knew to an extent what Samehada was capable of. Back when Kisame trained Naruto, he had utilised some of that weapon's power during training to manipulate the Kyuubi's chakra. With but a single slash the Samehada effortlessly consumed even three tails of the Bijuu cloak that covered Naruto at those times. In other words, if that blade hit Naruto, he would have no choice but to power up to his fullest extent.

"Well… if that's what you really want."

Those words barely made it to Kisame's ears, before a sudden explosion of chakra stunned him stupid. An aura darker than blood enshrouded Naruto like ghostly flames, to the point where only his eyes were properly visible. The air became filled with chakra and killer intent, burning the oxygen away and making those present light headed. The water boiled instantaneously and burst into an incredible steam that billowed around his body. The ferocity of his presence was the stuff of nightmares that filled the dreams of children all over the world. To Kisame, it was pure ecstasy.

_TREEEOWW!_

That was the sound of two great forces breaking into speeds no normal human could comprehend. The water arced aside into small tidal waves as Naruto and Kisame tore their footing apart. However fast Kisame was moving, Naruto was at least four times quicker. With one hand he wielded the Ekokaeten, and in the other a Shiroken. It was the Ekokaeten that defended against the Samehada. It was the Shiroken that attacked Kisame.

Blood fountained into Naruto's face like a dam cracking beneath the pressure. Kisame roared in pain as the white sabre slid inside of him and completely liquidised his internal organs. Then, with a final blast, he was taken of his feet and thrown back into the water, quickly disappearing beneath the surface. Even as Naruto stood there, the water died much greater than what had become of his own wound. His shredded flak jacket fell into the lake, and with his hand he tore off his ripped mesh shirt. Such things would only get in his way; his sensei was far from dead.

The water shuddered. The blood of Hoshigake Kisame dissipated into nothingness as the surface of the lake vibrated in a heated heartbeat. Far from where he had fallen, Kisame rose from beneath the water's surface like a corpse abandoning its grave. The water spilled from his body, and down his now bare chest. In discarding his cloak, he revealed to Naruto that his wounds were gone. Such a miraculous thing should not have kept Naruto from reacting; his past experience with Yagura was all that kept him cool.

"You think that you are the only one who can grow stronger in an instant?" Kisame asked, a grin spreading across his face that was matched by the Samehada. "My power grows in proportion to the chakra that Samehada consumes; as my enemies grow weaker so do I become stronger." He continued, before bringing his hands together in a short string of seals. "Let me show you a fraction of the strength that I possess, and realise that you could never be my equal. Suiton: Senjikizame!"

Naruto slowly lifted his head as the water before him rose, reaching a height that blocked out the entire horizon. From that water countless sharks were created, until it literally became a wall of them. These sharks rolled towards Naruto with increasing momentum, threatening to rip him apart in the coming onslaught of infinite razor sharp teeth. "Guess that's just like you Kisame-sensei." He murmured, lowering his stance in preparation to run. "It always has to be ripped to shreds, doesn't it?"

Once more came the explosion of sound as Naruto disappeared from sight, flickering off to this right. The sharks continued their movement regardless, which seemed to work out just fine for him. Reappearing at the edge of this wall of teeth, Naruto leapt into the air and flipped around, a smirk growing across his face as the temptation to do something galling became too great.

Turning the Ekokaeten on its side, he placed his feet upon the blade and with a constant stream of wind sent himself soaring across the heads of the sharks. Quite literally he surfed across his sensei's Jutsu, ripping it apart in the process. Even as the sharks at the top began their descent, he increased his speed even further. "Well, I guess I don't mind ripping every now and then either." He commented, as he shot out the other side of what had quickly turned into a tunnel.

The water sharks fell back into the water, Naruto's efforts returning each and every one of them to their original state. He turned his head to look at Kisame, who hadn't noticed his presence until the Samehada reacted. The look of shock on his sensei's face was worth the effort, even if in the end all he did was level the playing field once again. _"Even though he said that, he looks like he's having fun."_ Kisame thought to himself, as he slowly began to descend into the water. _"Well… that is what I trained him to be like after all."_

Without his sensei's audience, Naruto quickly reverted to his plain faced state. He knew that here Kisame was in his element, and with the Samehada his advantage was obvious. As much as he enjoyed demonstrating his potential, it was unfortunate that Kisame was not the person one could spend a great deal of time on. As much as he hated to admit it, he would have to draw this fight to a close as soon as possible. Yet, with the ability his sensei displayed Naruto was forced to wonder just what it was he could do in that regard.

Before he could reach a conclusion however, his eyes narrowed as his feet became unable to maintain their footing on the water's surface, as said water rose above his ankles. He leapt high into the air, aiding his ascension with a blast of wind that caused a crater in the rising lake. Yet even as he ascended almost a hundred yards in height, the lake rose and eliminated any hope he had of getting back onto solid ground. And so his only choice came; he turned in the air and rocketed into the giant prison of water.

His breath remained tight in his lungs as he descended into the aqueous world, his eyes scanning his horizon. It appeared that the lake itself had risen from its bed, a dome of water made especially to entrap him. He tried swimming to the surface, but realised soon that such a thing was not possible. By the look of things, whatever direction he swam in wouldn't do him the slightest bit of good. In that case, he would have to resort to other means to-

Something triggered in the corner of his mind, a warning of danger that spiked from nothing more than pure instinct. He barely managed to step away as a solid mass of killer intent burst past him, in the form of some grotesque hybrid between a shark and a human. That pale skinned thing managed to make good distance from Naruto, before turning around and revealing itself. Naruto's eyes stretched wide as he saw the face of Kisame, in the body of a shark bearing bladed limbs and webbed digits. A dorsal fin stretched across his back, and a long tail swished in the water. This thing was a monster, no doubt about it.

"_This is…"_

Before he could even think, Kisame shot through the water again to stage his next attack. Naruto brought the Ekokaeten around to defend himself, but Kisame's mobility in this water was past what he could have imagined. What was more; it seemed that his sensei could protrude spikes from the fins on his arms. Naruto found this out when Kisame reached under his defence and stabbed straight through his chakra cloak.

Kisame's grin widened at his successful strike, knowing the area he had penetrated to be Naruto's lungs. Soon his student would run out of air, and the battle would be won. _"Lucky his injuries heal so well."_ He thought to himself, as he drove the spikes in a little bit further. He thought he could remain her until consciousness left Naruto's body, but he soon realised that the chakra his opponent released was boiling the water around and making it painful to remain. Reluctantly he moved back, though from the look on Naruto's face it didn't make much difference.

The last few air bubbles in Naruto's lungs trickled past his lips and up through the water. Slowly the cloak of the Kyuubi faded away, and even his eyes dimmed back to their previous plain yellow. The holes in his were releasing blood, though still they healed to save him from dying. His arms lowered down to the side, the Ekokaeten reflecting Kisame once again. The sheen to the blade disappeared, the metal becoming dull.

"_Eko… let's do it."_

Kisame jumped in surprise as just when he thought Naruto was gone, the boy's eyes snapped back open. His eyes glared furiously at Kisame, the sclera darkening to an oily black and his iris changing to a deep, metallic blue. _"This chakra!"_ Kisame thought, as Naruto's skin began to pale to a white. The monster of the hidden mist flitted his gaze to the Ekokaeten, and watched with a stunned expression as the blade began to change form in the water. _"Is this fusion?"_

The Ekokaeten and Naruto's arm became one as the blade pulled itself inside of its wielder. In time to this Naruto's flesh became as white as winter, the black spikes on his chin turned a deep blue and began crawling up his face. Across his arms thin bulges began to grow, stretching across his skin in a gut wrenching manner. These bulges then hardened, forming four arced blades on each arm. On his lower half, the legs of his slacks tore as the same thing happened on his calves. The transformation seemed to finish, with a white skinned, darkened eyed, bladed limbed Naruto. And with this new form, he released a hiss of bubbles.

"So you really have managed to achieve that state somehow?" Kisame asked, his voice managing to travel even through the water itself. He poised himself in his element, ready to attack this new form and test out the capabilities Naruto had with it. However there was one fault to this appearance that he couldn't ignore, one that disappointed him severely. "Yet even so, it's not like you have any air left to-"

Naruto ignored Kisame's words, perhaps not hearing them to start with. It was true that if he stayed like this any longer he would surely drown. Even now his hands lifted to his neck, gripping it tight as if doing so would invite air into his lungs. Kisame watched his struggle without the slightest touch of pleasure, and wondered perhaps if right here and right now was the first time ever Naruto had managed to attain this-

_Whrrrph!_

Kisame's jaw dropped as Naruto dragged his clawed nails across his own neck, gouging out his own skin with a feral slash. The red mist of his blood clouded his head, filling his mouth with its metallic taste. The pain was immense, searing like hot irons had been pressed against his throat. Yet somehow he stayed himself within this agony, mixing with his own drowning. Then, unable to resist it any longer, he drew the water in. A moment later, and he was forced to acknowledge something ground breaking. He grinned.

"_What?" _Kisame thought, as Naruto broke out of the bloody cloud and began swimming towards him at full throttle. That was impossible; he should be drowning by now! Yet even now as the blood poured from his neck… wait… the blood _wasn't_ pouring from his neck. In fact, the slashes he had dealt to his skin didn't bleed at all, but instead rippled lightly in the water. There was only one solution to this, one Kisame couldn't believe. _"He gave himself gills?"_

Swiftly he blocked as Naruto struck him like a missile. Fortunately the blades on their arms were of a similar density; as such Kisame had no worries about using his to defend against Naruto's. From the chakra he could sense it felt like Naruto was using Fuuton to manoeuvre through the water, something his body could not match with Kisame unaided. The punches and kicks he threw each aimed with the blades on his limbs, every attack brutal and relentless. Of course, Kisame was hardly a fish out of water, so to speak.

The blows exchanged by these two semi human opponents sent shockwaves throughout the watery mass. Cuts and slashes were dealt to each side, blood oozing from small wounds that quickly healed over. The difference wasn't so clear, but from the look of things Kisame's attacks were growing faster and stronger. Of course he had no doubt as to the reason why; even now the Samehada was consuming Naruto's chakra like it was at a buffet. This in turn raised Kisame's strength exponentially.

"There is no one who can best me in a lengthy battle!" Kisame called out, his grin splitting ever wider even as Naruto slashed at his face with a kick. He then grabbed hold of Naruto's leg and with his other hand, grabbed onto Naruto's throat. His fingers tightened and stopped even the gills from being of use, cutting off Naruto's air supply even after that unorthodox transformation. "And now I'll devour all your chakra!"

He could feel it, that sensation of his energy being drawn out of his body against his will. It was a great force, like a riptide of his own stamina. Naruto was totally of his own sound, mind and body; he could feel every fraction of what was happening to him. It hurt. _"Kisame-sensei… you really are just like me."_ He thought, as he pulled his arm back. He drew his sensei's attention as the blades on his arm began to move in a strange fashion, turning around Naruto's arm at a hastily increasing speed. Within moments the blades had become a single gyrating whirlwind that not even Naruto could stop from flying forward. _"We both always have a trick up our sleeve!"_

Naruto's fist burst into Kisame's chest with such force that the Akatsuki swordsman could not maintain his grip on Naruto. While he cried out in pain from the cannonball like impact, Naruto was fired out of his reach by the whirling blades on his arm. Kisame ground his teeth as he held onto his stomach, turning his murderous eyes around to glare at Naruto with all his might. It was there that he truly comprehended just what the Ekokaeten's fusion form was.

The blades on Naruto's arms and legs whirred slowly around, maintaining his stature as he floated inside the water prison. He looked at Kisame with steely eyes and an unsmiling face. With his limbs, his eyes, his skin, with the entirety of this form, only one thing came to Kisame's mind. Even more, as that carmine chakra enveloped his body once again, the image in his head became defined. "Naruto… you are…" he breathed, as his formed student pivoted himself in the water, aiming himself at Kisame with readied blades. "… Heh."

The water divided as a combination of those whirling blades and futon chakra shot Naruto across like an arrow from a taught bow. The dark chakra surrounding him seemed to almost struggle to keep up; a near black meteorite hurtling through a deadly ocean. Kisame barely made it out of the way as that dark star shot past, taking with it a portion of the skin from his arm. _"Well, at least he can't easily move around like-"_

_CRASH!_

Naruto's arms embedded themselves suddenly in the ground at the very bottom of the lake. It seemed that he had overestimated himself and crashed straight into the earth. Seeing his chance, Kisame swam in to finish his greatest student off. He darted through the water with his claws at the ready, already figuring out the best way to grab onto Naruto without putting himself in danger of those blades.

Then something else happened. The blades on Naruto's arm stopped whirring and became jammed in the rocks themselves. At the same time, the blades on his legs began spinning faster than ever, directing themselves straight up to the sky. With the aid of Fuuton chakra powered by the Kyuubi, these blades were given enough power to create a current in the water, one that triggered something too typical to believe.

A vortex as formed at Naruto's feet, growing larger and larger before anything could be done about it. This column of conflicting tides snaked up through the lake towards the surface, where it burst out and took on its form. A raging whirlpool so vast, the entire surface of the water prison was conflicted with it. This powerful maelstrom affected everything inside, specifically, Hoshigake Kisame.

Unable to resist the force, Kisame was pulled along it in a spiralling path. Knowing better than to swim against it, he used the current to increase his own speed, and circle Naruto from above. This water was boiling hot however, marring his senses with pain and discomfort. Before he knew it his muscles seized up, and he became dragged through like a rag doll. _"How… this shouldn't be happening!"_ he thought, as he put all his effort into finding a way out of this mess. He looked to his left and right, and found only one solution. _"No choice!"_

With a strained roar he forced his body into the very centre of the whirlpool, where the air actually managed to stabilise itself. Allowing gravity to do his work for him, Kisame dropped down towards the place Naruto was. Though it was dangerous, if he could stop his student from doing what he was doing, then he would have an easy opening to finish things without any further trouble. That was what he thought, until his very target burst suddenly from the vortex below.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Naruto screamed, as he launched himself from the surf below. The sheer speed at which he flew upwards was so great it triggered sonic booms that shattered the walls of the vortex and caused it to collapse beneath him. His gyrating arms struck Kisame's chest so hard the air was knocked out of him, and even then he didn't stop ascending. It wasn't until he had achieved a height so great that the entirety of the lake and its surroundings were visible, that the two of them slowed in the air.

"_Just how powerful… is the Kyuubi?"_ Kisame thought, as his vision faded in and out of black. He had never been punched this hard before; he had this weird feeling that even though it had been his chest that received the impact, it felt as if his spine had shattered completely. Even now he was powerless to do anything, as the two of them turned in the air and began to descend. _"No… I guess this is _Naruto's_ power… isn't it?"_

All the same, he wasn't finished yet. The contact these two shared allowed him to draw in vast amounts of chakra, enough to begin healing his wounds once again. Even after the two of them separated, Kisame descending at a faster rate than Naruto, he had enough to completely recover his wounds. This would have been enough for him, if not for the fact that Naruto was directly above him.

"Kisame-sensei… I finally finished that task you gave me."

Kisame's brow rose in surprise at Naruto's words, wondering for a moment just what his old student was referring to. He watched with vague curiosity as Naruto's hands flew through a string of seals, ending in the seal of the tiger. "S-rank Jutsu…" he quietly said, taking his hands and facing his palms towards Kisame. It was in these last moments that Kisame remembered the mission he assigned to Naruto, and knew what was about to come. "Fuuton: Final Wind."

A faint breeze billowed around Naruto's hand, as the wind gathered in a circling motion. It gathered steadily into a ball, before releasing itself in a single direction. Kisame let out a gasp of shock, but his voice was blocked out by the sudden and _immense_ sound. Far below him the lake exploded, sending a tsunami out in every direction. He didn't have to think far to find a reason for this. Most likely it was the same thing that blew that hole into his chest, and took with it most of his back too.

"… Well…"

* * *

The lake was little more than a puddle now, slowly being refilled by the few rivers that led into it. But the water that fell in slipped through the fresh fissures created by Naruto's technique, becoming absorbed by the dry earth below. What he had done would inevitably affect the wildlife not just here, but any place that had once been supplied with water from this area. The rivers leading out would be dry for quite a while.

At the bottom of this lake, back to looking as human as he ever could, Hoshigake Kisame stared up at the morning sky. The Samehada had peeled itself free of him, after healing his wounds as best as it could. Even then though it wasn't enough; though Kisame's spine was repaired his vital organs were failing him. His life was not to be for much longer. For now the most he could do was breath, and even that seemed to be asking for much.

Naruto looked down at Kisame, the Ekokaeten removed from his body and replaced on his back. The chakra cloak too was gone; all that remained visible of his previous power were the faint flames flickering in his eyes. Yet even so he looked down at Kisame sadly, seeing not an opponent, but his former sensei. "I really hate that things had to go this way." He said, watching as Kisame's eyes turned to meet with his. "I never had more fun than when I was chasing after you, doing everything in my power to surpass you. I guess you could say that I never wanted it to end. I know it sounds wimpy, but even now I still kinda look up to you."

He turned his eyes away for a moment as he felt something brush against his leg. The hilt of the Samehada was slithering around, trying to climb up towards Naruto's hand. Recognising its desire he crouched down and took hold of the hilt, lifting it up to look at it. "But in this time there's one thing I learned that I don't think you ever understood." He continued, as the Samehada became taught and small once again. "These swords were made from the souls of living creatures. The fusion should be enough to say it, but what these swords want more than anything is to be reminded that they are alive. But the Samehada was only ever a weapon to you, wasn't it?"

It didn't seem as if Kisame was even capable of replying, his ragged breaths taking all of his strength. But as Naruto looked at his sensei's face, he saw the defiance and quiet outrage that said to him that he still had no place to be talking in such a way to Kisame. To this he could only think of one reply. "Here… let me show you what I mean." He said, as he reached around with his other hand and took the Ekokaeten. "This is what the seven swords truly are."

Watching was all Kisame could do, but even then he gave it all he could. Before his very eyes both the Ekokaeten and the Samehada grew as a part of Naruto's body. But obscurely enough nothing of the boy seemed to change as the fusion should have done. Instead, Naruto lurched over slightly, and to Kisame's amazement he saw something growing out of Naruto's back. A tiny golden skull on a deep purple hilt. Naruto grabbed onto this hilt and slowly pulled out that which it was connected to; a blade that was neither the Ekokaeten nor the Samehada. A great sword with barbed edges, of a deep sapphire blade with a brilliant sheen. The sword itself seemed to be the essence of bloodlust, yet at the same time something deeply pensive.

"A sword that wants to be the strongest, and a sword that wants to consume the strongest, together create a sword that will destroy anything that stand in its way of gaining power… Suijin." Naruto said, as he too viewed this disastrous blade with amazed eyes. Once again he lifted the sword and placed it behind him, feeling its warm touch as it clung to his back. "Being trapped in the state they are for the rest of their existence, it's hardly surprising that they turned out like this. Now all they want is to make their existence as strong as possible."

The student looked at his sensei, wondering if it was even possible to get something like this through to a man so set in his ways. He remembered all the things he learned from Kisame; to always measure himself by his own standard, to never forget what it was he wanted, to do everything in his power to make sure his goals came to fruition. These were the three rules that had been beaten into his body, the three virtues he now held dear to his heart. And now, with nothing more to learn from Kisame, there was only one thing left to say. "Goodbye… sensei."

He turned his back on the man who at one time had terrified him more than any other being on this planet. The man who made him fight for his life simply for the right to wear a forehead protector, and also the man who made him get rid of it later on. He made his first few steps away from his sensei, when he heard a spluttering sound. "Hack… kah… you know…" Kisame murmured, his voice so hoarse it almost didn't reach Naruto's ears at all. "I only ever gave you that sword out of pity. I felt kind of guilty leaving Eko-kun stuck in the cave, so I gave him to someone who I was pretty sure wasn't going to be allowed to die. So who'd have thought that it was that very same person who would be the one to kill me? I really never thought it… that I would ever be proud of _you_."

Naruto stayed where he was for several long moments, his back remaining to Kisame. The former swordsman watched the new Ronin, his last grin spreading across his lips. After a few seconds more, Naruto continued to walk on his way. _"Heh, look at how big his back just got."_ Kisame thought, lifting his eyes back to the sky once again. He felt his final breath leave his lungs, and noticed the morning sky start to look a lot like night. _"Looks like he's still a kid who wants praise, eh Naomi?"_

That was the last thought that passed through the mind of Hoshigake Kisame, the sensei of the man who was now the greatest of the seven ninja swordsman. As the light faded from his eyes, and his breathing was no longer a worry, he died still with a grin on his face. He never really cared just what awaited him in the afterlife. But he could pass away now, knowing that his legacy would live on forever more.


	34. Heaven hear my call, hell watch my back

Bit of a busy chapter this time around, this is possibly my last chance to get important information out of the way. By that you can probably tell, this story is in its final stages. Kinda wierd, past experience dictates that it's about now that writing should be at its hardest, since I'm the knd of guy who never really wants his story to end (shocker huh?). I guess though since this story is like 160 chapters long that's understandable right? Well anyway, I'll do my best to make these last few chapters the greatest you've seen since this story started.

* * *

**Heaven hear my call, hell watch my back**

Dark clouds loomed over the abysmal sky, a greyness that weighed down the world and depressed the land. Cold winds fluttered over the mountaintops, sending the bitter touch of winter across the grass and trees. The month of November dragged across the chilling earth and blanketed it with the promise of icy rain. And in amidst this pessimistic mist, there was a single place which seemed to be the centre of all this. The village of Konohagakure suffered from this frosty condition, the many leaves that gave it its name gone for the duration. Nature itself had abandoned this place, taking respite in the evergreen forests of Kaminari no Kuni, and the cacti of Kaze no Kuni.

The discord of winter was a fitting match for this place, which in itself was also suffering from cold hearts and bitter expressions. No word had reached them on the condition of the Hokage; they were all beginning to lose hope. In a simple term, the village was in a state of depression. The Shinobi of this place did everything in their power to keep things running even during this dark time. Their resolve was the sole beacon of light in the never ending darkness that loomed over Hi no Kuni. If not for them, all would be lost.

However, there was one Shinobi in particular who did his best not to get too involved in what was going on. He had recently managed to break away from the tedious meetings the other Jounin were holding, taking a moment to rest in one of the barren trees near Konoha's academy. _"All this pressure to become Rokudaime..."_ thought Hatake Kakashi, as he adjusted his mask and slipped a hand behind his tall grey hair. With one eye covered behind his headband, the other lazily glanced through the book he held, the contents barely making it into the realms of his mind. _"At a time like this… who would want a job like that?"_

"Hey."

Kakashi cocked a curious brow at the voice calling out to him, glancing down to the familiar figure sitting at the bench below. Another of the Jounin took rest there, judging by the uniform. Of course, it was the tall dark hair and thick beard that gave away this person's identity. "You couldn't stand those stuffy meetings either then, Asuma-san?" Kakashi asked, slipping his book away and gripping both hands behind his head. If anyone had to join him here, he was glad it was at least someone who would let him enjoy this moment of tranquillity.

Asuma cracked the slightest grin as he pulled out from his flak jacket a packet of cigarettes. Taking one between his teeth, he cupped his hands around his mouth as he lit it, before taking in a long and comforting inhale. "Actually, with the way Kurenai has been it's hard to find a safe place I can "relax" these days." He replied, before letting out a calm and steady exhale. "She said I should try and be like my father and think of the children's health. Didn't like it when I reminded her that the old man smoked a lot more than I did."

Together he and Kakashi let out a light chuckle, the latter giving a slight sorry look to his comrade. He had heard of Yuhi Kurenai's terror pregnancy, but made a point of never being a first hand witness to it. However from what he heard alone, he would not be ready to give up his role as bachelor anytime soon. "I get the feeling that a hormonal Kunoichi isn't someone you want to get on the wrong side of." He said, voicing his sympathy as best as he could. But from the suddenly whited out way Asuma looked at his words, it appeared all he had done was bring back painful memories. "Ah well, guess I better-"

His words were cut short as his face was suddenly lit up with a brilliant shine, followed by a roaring procession. Both he and Asuma watched with stunned eyes as from the clouds above appeared a mass of lightning shaped like a beast. Before this monster could even be comprehended, it dropped from the sky and struck Hokage Mountain, triggering an explosion of light so powerful that anyone who looked upon it would be blinded for a long time.

_TROOOOOM!_

That was the sound of the heads of the Hokage crashing from their home, crushing both the academy and the Hokage's office. The mountain shattered in a rock slide that sent boulders flying down the streets, breaking through stalls, trees and any people that were in their path. In but a split second the frosty calm of Konoha had been replaced with terror as fires broke out across the most important building in the village and those surrounding it. And to add insult to injury, the clouds separated to shine sunlight upon this disastrous event. Neither Kakashi nor Asuma remained in their places for a second longer. The majority of the Jounin had been at that place at this unlikely event; it was clear that the village was under attack.

* * *

A flickering sounds, like paper in the wind. A warm sensation of comfort, and a dim light that danced across the eyelids. Dusty air taunted the nose, causing an itch at the back of the throat. But the softness beneath was welcoming, the heat embraced without any resistance. The soothing call of sleep was beckoning, opening the doors to selfish idleness once again.

That desire was stopped however, by a sharp sense that came to mind. Eyes opened to stare up at a stone ceiling, lit up only by flickering flames. These eyes turned slowly to the side, taking in the still hazy room as best as could be done. A small, windowless abode, the only decoration being wind like engravings upon the wall. Small wooden torches sat in brackets, giving off the only light this place had. An oak desk against the nearest wall held a small lantern, at which someone seemed to be working.

"Good afternoon, Konan-san."

The last drifts of sleep left her eyes as Konan heard her name, replaced with an alert state that was brought on purely by intuition. She sat up in the bed she lay in, realizing just as her blanket began to slip that she wore nothing beneath it. Grabbing hold of her one source of decency, she fixed her suspicious eyes upon this mysterious person and posed the obvious question. "Where am I?" she asked, her voice without fear or worry. All that was present in her mind right now was doubt. "Who are you?"

The person at the desk was obscured by a black hooded cloak, just a pair of golden insignia like eyes decorating the material. By the voice, it was clear this person was male, but not much else could be seen. "Well, where you are _not_ is dead in the blizzards of Tetsu no Kuni, to which you are very welcome." Replied the hooded man, who stopped his writing to focus his attention on Konan for now. He turned his head to give Konan a sideward look, the candlelight glinting off a pair of round glasses. "And don't worry; it was my subordinate who tended to your injuries."

To this Konan quickly checked herself, realising what this strange man said to be true. Across her bare skin heating pads had been strapped on, providing warmth to her joints and stomach. By now the effects had for the most worn off, but by the way she felt she didn't think she needed them any longer. Once she had finished looking herself over, her eyes faded out of focus as another question crossed her mind. "Tetsu no Kuni?" she repeated, a slight frown appearing upon her visage. "… Why?"

The hooded man regarded Konan for a few moments, a smirk spreading across his pallid lips. He returned his attention to the papers before him, though only diverted a little of his attention towards it. "It's completely normal for your memory to take some time to recover." He said, picking up his pencil and resuming his writing. "But I think you will find that in your case it will take more than time to bring back those memories that are still out of reach."

That questionable remark birthed even further distrust from the so far disadvantaged Konan, her narrowing eyes implying this. The odd feeling she got from this person didn't help, the sinister vibe that released absolutely no killer intent. "Is there any point in saying that much if you won't explain what you mean?" she asked, knowing well how to deal with people who tried to talk secretively. "If you have something to say then just-"

She stopped suddenly as the man turned his head around to look her in the face. Her eyes widened and what little colour was present on her face faded away at what she saw. The man behind the spectacles bore white skin marked with scales, and serpentine yellow eyes bearing long slits and purple eyeliner. In spite of the odd shape and the wavy grey hair, one name appeared in Konan's mind that could not be uttered aloud, only in the form of a stunned whisper.

"Orochimaru!"

That of course wasn't true, but Konan wasn't to know this fact. This person was not Orochimaru, but Yakushi Kabuto. However as the smile on his lips displayed it was clear he was not without understanding her confusion. Sitting back in his chair, he lifted a hand to the bridge of his glasses, and odd habit that he seemed to have picked up inexplicably. "You see, you got too close to an encounter with a _very_ special woman." He said, answering her prior question in place of her exclamation. "A woman who gave a very special gift to Orochimaru, a gift I now posses. It is known as the Nehangan."

Konan of course knew nothing of this, but listened in any case. This person spoke as if he was someone other than Orochimaru, not that she could say for certain when it came to that man. However he spoke as if he knew something, and in the case of information being power she was little more than an insect right now. To that end she decided to hear him out, and reach her own conclusion once this unusual story had come to an end.

"This woman is of a remarkable build, something that is an entity consisting _entirely of mental energy._" Kabuto continued, displaying a flair for talking that perhaps would not be his greatest aspect. "She possesses no physical body, yet has enough of a presence to touch things, to slip in and out of any place, _and to give power to whomever she desires_. I have been following this woman for a while now, and from the look of things she has taken an interest in certain specific people. Care to guess who they are?"

These words he spoke were unusual to say the least, but not unbelievable. Konan's suspicion of him rose even further, but so did her attention to what he was saying. She knew of a certain person possessing abilities not unlike what this one was saying, and as such naturally made a connection. "Who are they?" she asked, not wanting to waste time with meaningless guesses. Besides, she had a feeling this person would only enjoy it more if she played along with his whim.

She wasn't incorrect of course, Kabuto's smile retracted just a little. He shifted his hand to rest his head on his knuckles, gazing at Konan almost dreamily so. "Four people to whom she imparted four powerful Doujutsu; Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Neji, Uzumaki Naruto… fufufu… and _Pein._" He explained, taking enjoyment from the look Konan got from hearing those names, especially the last. "It's interesting that she seeks Sasuke and Naruto when Madara and I have the same Doujutsu, but it appears her preference is young men. Well, I suppose it's not that strange."

It was natural that Konan couldn't comprehend this view, but nonetheless she was stunned by it. What was it this person really knew, and why was he divulging this information so readily? She couldn't settle down, all of this felt too familiar in spite of her not knowing why. Was it true that her memories had been tampered with then? "But… so who is this person then?" she asked, taking advantage of Kabuto's apparent nature while he was in the mood for talking.

"Ah, who knows?" he replied, with a faint air of remorse mingled with a sigh. He looked half heartedly into the lantern at his desk, studying the fire with an almost intoxicated stare. In the glass he could see his own eyes, and knew with distaste that not even he could truly make sense of all this. "The power to see the energies that become chakra, to see chakra inside the body, to perceive it and understand it. These four Doujutsu each reflect on an aspect of how a Jutsu is created. If one person were to possess all four of these powers, then there would be nothing he couldn't understand. If it's true that this woman can readily give away such power, then she must be remarkably strong herself."

Kabuto's voice drifted off with this statement, his attention fading away into the candle before him. Lightly he chewed on his fingernail, deep in contemplation about that which he just spoke of. Konan however was not ready to let the conversation end here. She shifted herself so that she sat with her feet on the ground, the blanket covering most of her body. "Assuming that I believe everything you're telling me…" she began, emphasising a big if on those words. "With that much power, what is it someone like that could possibly want?"

To this Kabuto's attention turned back to Konan, the shine returning in his eyes. Along with that too came back the smile he wore, as if he just thought of something that made him very happy indeed. "Ah well, that I can tell you from my own experience." He replied, the flickering flames of the candle reflecting in his cool, cruel eyes. "What she wants is little more than to completely and utterly destroy this entire world."

* * *

Rocks fell from the sky, plummeting down to the ground below. In a single successive move the statue head of a man with huge and spiky hair fell by the waterfall into the river, creating a huge splash that disrupted the currents beneath the surface. At the neck of this now beheaded statue stood Uzumaki Naruto, wielding his blade in his hand. Calmly he slipped the sword Suijin onto his back, before leaping over to the statue opposite.

"Was that really necessary?" Yagura asked, as his leader joined him on the ground at the other side of the Valley of the End. He knew well that the statue Naruto had just destroyed was crafted after Uchiha Madara, and as such could understand the reason behind it. Yet all the same he didn't approve of pointless ruin. "All that does is make you look like a punk trying to get attention; it's not the image you ought to be sending."

Naruto stopped just as he landed on the soft earth, looking at the other Jinchuuriki with a blank face. Soundlessly he leant against the shoulder of Senju Hashirama, the Shodai Hokage, and rested his hands behind his head. "There's no point in sending any sort of message, all I'm doing is some last minute training." He replied coolly. He had managed to replace his torn clothes from his fight with Kisame, but like the others they were covered behind the grey cloak they wore as protection from the weather. "This sword is kinda hard to handle, the Ekokaeten's control instincts and the Samehada's hunger makes the sword unsettled, so I'm trying to calm it down."

Yagura could understand what Naruto was getting at, and to an extent he could even feel empathy for him. The voice of the Bijuu alone was hard to cope with at first, but adding in two more consciousnesses was beyond what he expected anyone to be able to handle. In that regard Naruto was remarkable, but of course he would never say such a thing. "So why are we even here?" he asked, deciding to change the subject to one of higher interest. Naruto hadn't taken the time to tell them, everything he did was rushed to the point of agitation. "It's not like we have any leads or anything."

Naruto blinked in surprise as he returned his attention to the other Jinchuuriki. Telling them why they were coming here had totally slipped his mind; he had assumed Gaara had managed to learn the same from that Juugo guy and told everyone else. Apparently though that wasn't the case. "Oh, Kisame-sensei's subordinate said that Uchiha Sasuke, and maybe Hyuuga Neji, were heading towards Konoha." He explained, with an expression that showed little doubt to this suspicious clue. "It looks like he's going there to destroy the place, so we better hurry in case they screw up and die."

With this conclusion he straightened up from his position and headed past the others towards the trees, as if there were no questions that could be asked from it. This wasn't the case however, and for once it was not Yagura who proved this point. "So what's the plan then?" Utakata asked, taking advantage of his neutral stance to learn something productive, rather than Yagura's constant arguments. "It won't be so easy to sneak into Konoha, and even then what would we do?"

At this reasonable question Naruto came to a stop, though kept his eyes straight ahead. He felt fairly certain that Konoha wasn't a threat to him any longer, as long as he kept his guard up he was sure he wouldn't lose. All the same he understood that going in without a plan was foolish. "The six paths of pain are bodies that Pein can remotely control." He explained, lifting his head to look at the sky above. "If the scroll Gaara has can really summon them, then we should be able to rid Madara of the worst of his weapons. But I know Pein; he would have already worked out a plan like this and measures to counter it. That's why we're going to use Hyuuga Neji to summon the paths, so that whatever counterattack Madara has won't cause us any trouble."

It was a smart plan for sure, if not a sketchy one. Yagura had to wonder just what sort of opponent Pein was that a barrier Jutsu and a Kage Bunshin wouldn't be enough to stop a _trap_. But since the person he trusted more with these sort of plans, Gaara, had nothing to say about it, then he decided to just go along with things for now. But even so he was forced to wonder why this force known as Pein of Amegakure never reached his ears when he was the Mizukage.

"The clouds have changed direction. Let's hurry."

* * *

The base of Konohagakure's Torture and Interrogation Force was a frightening place to be, no matter which side of the table you were on. The building was strife with dark intentions from both the prisoners and the prison guards, though the power belonged to solely one of those two factions. It was true, of all the voices that could be heard in this place the loudest were the screams of protest from the "guests" inside this abysmal place. Thankfully the number of residents was usually quite low, but in these recent times anyone found to be associated with Akatsuki was welcomed here with open arms. Unfortunately, this included members of Konoha as well.

Haruno Sakura and Hyuuga Hinata sat at a cold steel table in a cold stone room, their depressed eyes fixed upon the flat surface before them. How long it had been since they returned, and how long they had been interrogated, the time of this was becoming difficult to tell. Sakura did her best to keep a scale of time, but in this windowless coffin all she could do was count the passing moments. Hinata somehow managed to stay calm throughout all this, and was in fact the strong one in this situation. Sakura's red eyes were the clear indication of this.

A sound struck the ears of both these Kunoichi, a noise that disturbed even these sound proof walls. A deep rumbling caused the very room to shake, alerting them and the guard who sat across from them. Before they had any time to question this fearful occurrence, the door to the interrogation room was flung open as another of the guards made a sudden appearance. "The village is under attack!" he exclaimed, his attention glancing between the guard and the prisoners. "Ibiki-teichou has ordered all ninja who are capable to come out and assist the forces!"

Sakura and Hinata both glanced at each other in shock, by capable ninja… did that mean _them_? This question went unanswered however as the building took another violent impact, a stream of debris flying down the corridor. Even if they weren't being called to action, there was no way they could stay here. They and their guard immediately got to their feet and ran to the door, making for the nearest possible exit to find out just what was going on.

They broke out into the street, and straight away were forced to stop. The exit they took faced them directly at Hokage Mountain; or what should have been the Hokage Mountain. But there was no sign of the faces that looked over the village, guarding it with their wisdom and strength. What was more, they could see thick black smoke rising in that area, created from flames that were visible even this far away. It seemed that what they had heard was definitely the truth; someone was waging war with Konoha. "Hinata!" Sakura cried, looking to her team mate with a panicked expression.

"Ah, right!" Hinata hastily replied, turning her attention back to the flames. Upon her smooth skin, her veins began to bulge, and her lavender eyes gained the slightest definition of a pupil. With the Byakugan she managed to see everything within a ten kilometre radius, but for now she focused on a specific place. The smouldering wreck of Konoha's academy was the place her vision was set upon. For it was there that she saw a form she had not seen in almost four years. "S-Sasuke-san!"

Sakura's head snapped in Hinata's direction, the pink haired girl ignoring the spasm in her neck as she stared at her friend with a pale face. She grabbed Hinata's shoulder and forced their eyes to meet, even though for her team mate such a thing was unnecessary. "Sasuke-kun is here?" she exclaimed, an unsettling combination of grief and hope appearing upon her face. "Where, where is he?"

Hinata was frightened by the forceful look on Sakura's face, but even more so by what she saw of Sasuke. Those black flames surrounding him did not look like any regular Katon Jutsu. "He's- he's over b-by the academy!" she replied, her stammer returning to her under this situation of stress. Without so much as a word of thanks Sakura ran off in that direction, leaping up to the buildings to get there as fast as possible. Hinata however remained where she was, taking the moment to extend the field of her Byakugan as far as she could. She stood there for several long seconds, searching desperately for another person in the mass of fleeing crowds. But in the end she could draw only one conclusion. _"Neji… you're not here?"_

* * *

It didn't seem possible, but the bone yard was somehow in ruins. The giant skeletons became shattered pieces of decayed bone, littering the ground like straw the farmer had failed to cut. The damp clouds hovered over this dried out place, threatening to rain down on this already miserable setting. There were few things that brought life to such a grim place, and even then they could only be called such by the slimmest technicality.

Uchiha Madara stepped out into what was clearly a battlefield. Subordinates to Akatsuki had been impaled on bone fragments, even from the ribs still embedded in the ground. Here and there blood splashed like the flicks of a lazy painter, their iron like scent making the bones seem all the more grotesque. To this gut wrenching scene Madara had but a single query, one that he hoped would be at least somewhat satisfying. "_What_… happened… here?" he called out, the danger in his voice by no means mistakable.

From one of the ribs still intact, two people were clearly moving. Those two people were the ones assigned with guarding this place, Hidan and Kakuzu. At the moment the former was getting stitched up by the latter, but both of them wore expressions of severe irritations. "Those fucking Kage broke out from your shitty prison, that's what happened!" Hidan yelled out, totally unafraid of the killing intent Madara leaked. Instead his attention was drawn to what lay near him, the barely conscious body of Terumi Mei. "It was this bitch, she's got some sorta acid spit or something."

Madara regarded the bruised and bloody Mizukage, wondering just how such a power had escaped his notice. He had no doubt it was the Youton style, but he recalled no one of Kirigakure possessing such power. In fact, the only one he knew having such a thing was the Yonbi Jinchuuriki Roshi. Privately he wondered just if there was a connection between those two, but in the end it wasn't of major relevance. "Well, out of the five Kage the Mizukage is probably the most important to us anyway." He said, with a wave of dismissal. "Put her under twenty four hour guard from now on, and take care not to get yourselves beaten to a pulp this time."

On this occasion it was both Hidan _and_ Kakuzu who growled, displaying a rare mutual feeling in the form of disdain for Madara. But the Uchiha was already taking his leave of this place, hearing only Hidan's last words. "Alright, I'll take this bitch back to her cell, show her what happens to little sluts who fuck with me." Was his vulgar statement, followed by the sound of someone being dragged along. Madara paid it no heed however as from the ground beside him, Zetsu rose in time with his pace.

"You have something to report?"

A small smile played across Zetsu's lips at this, a clear indicator for what was already obvious. He rose full until he could and walked alongside Madara. "It seems like there have been a few interesting things going on, while we weren't watching." He replied, as fragments of bone crunched underfoot. "**Kisame has fallen to Naruto, and Sasuke is attacking Konoha.** What's more, Naruto has taken the Jinchuuriki and are moving them through Hi no Kuni. **It looks like he is using the five villages to watch over that place while he moves around."**

Madara turned his head enough to look at his most useful subordinate, displaying genuine interest in the things he heard. "I had not expected Kisame to fall so easily; that is quite disappointing." He muttered, as he and Zetsu left the openness of the basin and entered one of the tunnels within this graveyard of a place. "If Naruto has really become that much of a threat, then it seems we have to make our move _now_."

* * *

The endless earth high in the sky dripped a disgusting fluid down in the lake of sludge, scattering vile fluid around the sickening slime. The pedestal which held the body of the disfigured creature known as Mugen protruded most of this sickening nauseating substance, from the mouths of the faces covering his body. This almost vomit-like slime bubbled out from all his orifices short of the ones on his head, making this world all the more gruesome. This dry, wrinkled face jerked suddenly, as a gust of wind blew across his half dead form.

The air by his bed opened wide, a thin black vapour slipping in through the created gap. The gateway closed as this mist completed its presence in this realm, those baseless shadows whirled in the empty air. From this vapour formed a disgruntled Tsukirite, unsmiling and possessing a hole where her left breast ought to have been. She stumbled from where she stood across Mugen's twitching body, her crescent moon mouth firmly downcast. Mugen seemed to react to this, or maybe he was aware of the wound upon Tsukirite's body.

"That brat… turning on the person responsible for him gaining the power he possesses!" Tsukirite hissed, spreading her arms across Mugen's shuddering form. The sludge pouring from his body came to a stop, the other faces revealing and appearing distorted. It appeared that Tsukirite was trying to calm her shaken love, though she herself was far from it. "Still… the four keys will be brought together at any moment now… even if he resists he will only quicken the gate's release. You can walk again soon my love."

To this Mugen seemed to calm, his twitches coming to a minimum. Tsukirite reached around and hooked her hand behind his head, slowly lifting it up. A groan escaped from Mugen's taught open mouth as a long, black cable was pulled out from his skull. A revolting noise sounded out as the cables leaked out the sludge the filled this disgusting plain, which previously coursed through Mugen's decaying veins. Tsukirite continued this repulsive task until Mugen was completely upright, his discontent with such a thing painfully obvious.

"Now dear Mugen, lets go to a place brimming with what you crave, so that you can eat to your heart's content."


	35. Written laws crumble in the face of

Seesh... it's been a long time since I've written a chapter that literally had my mind reeling just trying to get through it. It can be hell when you build up to something for so long, only to realise what you are reaching towards is an idea that you haven't fully formed yet. Heh, I don't tend to notice these things until it is almost too late unfortunately.

* * *

**Written laws crumble in the face of my power**

The open sky shone sunlight upon the world, though it did little to take away the bite of the season that clung to the ground. A broad series of valleys lay before view, displaying with them barren forests resting through what was going to be a harsh winter. One could almost imagine the waterfalls freezing where they sprayed; this place was already set out to become a painting depicting this frosty time. These were the valleys that not so long ago had staged the Chunin exams. Yet on this occasion such a thing was treated with only fleeting interest.

Yoinokuchi walked through this deserted scene, following their leader's path silently. The only one to break rank and file was Yagura, who slowed down for a second and looked around with an unsettled expression. "Konoha's barrier… it's down." He said, unable to detect the field that acted as the village's primary method of detecting intruders. The last time he was here he worked out the limits of that defence, yet on this occasion he felt nothing. "Is that village really in so much trouble?"

While the others stopped to listen to Yagura's words, Naruto paid them little attention. To him it didn't really matter even if the barrier _was_ up and running. All that would mean was that they lost seconds of time. Maybe that was arrogant, but all the same it was what he felt. "Alright, we'll revise the plan one more time." He said, as he reached the edge of a cliff leading down a sheer drop. "I'll deal with Neji personally; all of you take whatever preparations you need in case anything happens. Be ready for anything."

With that he raised his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp whistle. From the woods flickered out six large red figures, his dog pack. From Akira to Shinmaru, they all lined up behind him. Without a single further word he then hopped off the cliff, with the dogs following behind. The Jinchuuriki watched as he departed from vision, before doing as he had instructed and setting to work. None of them doubted the likeliness when he said things may start going crazy; in fact, they appreciated being given this much time at all.

Gaara lowered himself onto the ground, seeping sand from his gourd into the earth below. There it grinded together with what lay underneath, creating a greater amount of sand for him to control. Han opened up a panel on one of his arm guards and adjusted a small nozzle, changing the temperature of his steam generator to account for the climate. Utakata set to work oiling his iron claws, which had begun to stick from the coldness in the air. Yagura and Fuu meanwhile set to work creating a variety of paper seals that the latter could use to backup the former. As such, silence soon filled this group once more.

* * *

Naruto walked through the crisp cold valley with his hounds to either side of him, each sniffing the air for any signs of life. By this point most of the wildlife ought to have departed from this place, so any large scents could only belong to unusual things. So far none of the beasts had caught any such scent, even though the wind was cast in their direction. But of course they weren't the only ones keeping their senses open for signs of another presence. Naruto too was looking close for any traces of physical or mental energy.

He adjusted his cloak to compensate for the cold, his fiery eyes dim under his wary yet bored mood. He wished he had had more time to train with the Suijin; its constant consumption of his chakra was still alien and unwanted. From what he had learned so far from brief spars with his own Kage Bunshin, the Suijin drew in the chakra of whatever was close by it and stored it within itself. What was more; it seemed that the sword could convert that chakra into stamina that it gave to its wielder.

Naruto had learned this to great regret; for that night he had been unable to sleep while most of the others could not stay awake. For the first time then he understood Gaara's insomnia a little. However in that time he learned another use for that power, a use that he had quickly put to work. It was a combination of the Samehada's power and the Ekokaeten's, of which brought out something that Naruto very much wished to try out.

"Hrrrrr…"

For now however those thoughts were pushed aside as each of the dogs joined together to voice their antipathy. For now Naruto could not see just what it was that caught their notice, but whatever it was seemed to come from a single direction. And so he put his attention onto that same point, readying his hand to grab the hilt of the Suijin should the need be. All he could see ahead of him were dense, yet near lifeless trees. Whatever was there was outside his vision, though for how much longer?

Then, from the depths of the brittle woods, out stepped a lone figure dressed in black and white. This person looked out at Naruto with pale eyes and a thin smirk, as if seeing just the one he expected to meet. On this rare occasion Naruto shared a mutual feeling, as he looked upon the very person he had come all this way to find. "Funny that we meet here of all places, in the back garden of our hometown." Said Hyuuga Neji, regarding Naruto with the calmness of a feather in the breeze. "I can't help but wonder what would have happened if we never left this village in the first place."

Naruto relaxed his hand; there was no need to draw his blade at this moment in time. He sensed no dark intentions from Neji, so in turn displayed the same courtesy, even if his manners were only to an extent. "What, we could'a been friends in another life?" he asked, with a clearly snide attitude about him. "Come on, if that destiny crap is true, then what the hell does it matter what could have been?"

No, he didn't bother thinking about what could have been. There wasn't any other life he wanted than the one he was living now. To be strong, and to be independent. With those, he didn't need any of the respect he once so desired. "Destiny… it has been quite a while since I truly believed in such a thing." Neji replied, returning Naruto's manner with his own. "So then if I may ask, what is it that continues to draw us together? For what reason could you possibly have for coming to this place at this very time?"

For someone who stated he no longer believed in destiny, Naruto didn't like how Neji's words implied otherwise. He wasn't so naïve as to look at things only from the surface; he could see just fine that Neji wished to break this twisted bond every bit as much as he did. "I wanna know where I can find Uchiha Madara." He said, slipping his hand into his cloak. "You tell me where he is, in exchange for _this_."

Neji's hand flitted into the air, coolly catching the scroll that Naruto tossed to him. He looked over the small paper wrapped around the wooden roller, though he didn't expect it to explode or something as simple as that. All the same he remained cautious, searching Naruto's eyes for any clue as to what may be present inside that object. "To simply hand it over to me without any guarantee, either this means little to you or you have further means prepared of coaxing me." He stated simply, turning the scroll over in his hand. Silently he peeled it open, looking upon the contents with a lifting brow. After several long moments of study, he looked up at Naruto not with a smirk, but a smile. "Well then, in those conditions you won't mind me testing if this is real then?"

With the slightest wave of approval from Naruto, Neji took this as answer enough. He read through the instructions upon the scroll once again, before doing as they told him to. From there he fully unravelled the scroll and balanced it on his wrists, the paper hanging down and hiding his hands. The next step came with a flurry of seals, each done quickly and steadily enough not to affect the scroll's balance. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" he called, before a cloud of smoke exploded in front of him.

Several sounds of scattering thuds played out before Neji as shadows fell to the ground in front of him. He watched with impatient eyes as the smoke lifted to reveal what had appeared from his summoning. A glint then appeared in his eye, his smile showing some of his teeth. This maniacal look was what Naruto saw, as the cloud faded away and revealed six bodies lying on the ground, bodies he had not seen in years. Even now it made him uncomfortable to look upon the one known as Deva, to see him lying in a heap in the dirt.

For now it appeared that Neji had completely forgotten about Naruto's presence, as he too focused his attention on the Deva realm. Stooping down he took hold of that path's head and reached for the collar. After just a moment of careful struggling he pulled out a black bead necklace, decorated with small tomoe shaped jewels. Lifting this strange artefact before his eyes, Neji's smile grew even longer and even less human. "At long last…" he breathed, as he raised the necklace even higher above his head. "The third and last regalia is finally in my possession."

Naruto had to resist rolling his eyes at the flair Neji displayed as he slipped that weird piece of jewellery around his neck. All the same he kept silent to his opinions, instead voicing his other thoughts. "Well, there's your end, now tell me where Madara is." He demanded, readying his hand once again. Of course he didn't trust Neji, which was why he was ready to take that necklace back, along with his head should the need be. "And I'll be taking those bodies as well."

Neji's eyes flickered up to Naruto, his smile remaining but his expression cooling. He straightened himself up to a more composed stature, not that it meant much to the person he looked upon. "Yes well, I hope you don't mind but I think I will alter that deal just a little." He said, reaching with his bandaged arm towards the sleeve that covered the entirety of his left one. "You see, I wish to test out what it is I have come to possess. If you can defeat me, then I will tell you everything you want to know."

Those words of challenge were more than enough to set Naruto on edge. He lifted his hand and took hold of the Suijin, pulling it off his back and gripping it in both hands. Along with this the fire in his eyes brightened, to the point where Neji couldn't help from noticing. However he didn't seem all that impressed, as he gripped his oversized sleeve and slowly rolled it up his arm. From the look of things he had his own unusual aspect to brag about.

A black brace covered the entirety of his previously hidden limb, a mechanism that held it firmly in place. Even now as Neji waved his hand across it he found it to be almost totally rigid. Yet now he set to work undoing the locks that held it in place, all the while looking as confident as ever. _"For four years now I have trained this arm to control this."_ He thought to himself, as he undid the final strap that caused the brace to fall to the ground. _"And now to finally see if all that searching was worthwhile."_

From beneath the black brace, there was a strange design tattooed into Neji's arm. It was of a katana, with the hilt at his wrist and the tip at his shoulder. Looking upon this tattoo, Neji's pale eyes shone to the point of total luminosity, as he activated the Genwaku Byakugan. Then, without offering any explanation to the puzzled Naruto, Neji poised the fingers of his left hand and began viciously jabbing at his right arm. This odd display of masochism ended as calmly as it had started, before the true event occurred; Neji began to pull the katana straight out of his arm.

"_Damn it, this guy is taking too long."_ Naruto thought, unimpressed by this odd feat of Fuinjutsu. Though he didn't understand it, he didn't care that much in the end. All he knew was that every second wasted was time that could cause problems for him. And so not wanting to wait any more, he ran at Neji with his sword at the ready. The dogs dispersed to do as they always did, and set up a perimeter to make sure Naruto's fight went undisturbed. The blond swordsman flew at Neji, just as the Hyuuga pulled his own sword out against Naruto.

"It seems that our battles never reach a satisfying conclusion, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, as the tomoe on his forehead began to whirl. His skin darkened and his hair grew longer, snapping out of its ponytail and reaching down to the back of his knees. The cursed seal spread out into four long talon shaped markings that cast down Neji's face. The sclera of his eyes darkened, making his irises shine even brighter. "Let this be the last time the two of us ever meet!"

The thin katana that Neji wielded slid across Suijin's barbed form, until the two blades were in contact no more. Naruto then stepped back from Neji as the Hyuuga did the same. But neither wanted to prolong their efforts, and soon they were locked in combat, with Naruto's sword falling upon Neji's, it's immense weight somehow failing to shatter such a flimsy blade. It occurred to him that Neji's sword didn't feel normal, yet wasn't in any way comparable to the seven swords. It was like that blade was simply an object of power, rather than an entity like the Ekokaeten or Samehada. Although, in that way of thinking there was one thing about this fight that was also incomparable. And that was the difference in skill at swordplay.

"Hakkesho: Kaiten!" Neji called out, as Naruto broke through his defence with a slash that would have torn the Hyuuga apart on the rebound. Instead what the Suijin impacted with was a spherical wall of chakra, whirling in a powerful vortex. This only slowed down the Suijin however as the chakra that went into that defence was utterly consumed and negated. Neji escaped just barely, leaping back with only wounded pride. To compensate for his lacking ability with swords, he slid around into a stance that ended with him forcing his taught palm to the ground. "Eight Trigrams, Heaven's Stampede!"

The impact triggered and explosion of earth that flew in Naruto's direction, as if some giant mole was tunnelling underground to attack him. Sharp chunks of debris were flying high, the objective of the Jutsu clear. To counter he stabbed the Suijin into the ground, protecting himself from the projectiles and keeping the Jutsu from moving any further. Then, with no hesitation at all, he took the Suijin in one hand and swung it around in a full circle arc, crying out in the process: "Fuuton: New Moon Destroyer!"

The full circle arc of wind sliced through the air at an unstoppable speed. Neji barely had the time to straighten up before he was intercepted by it. The trees sliced apart and the stone shattered from the impact. Yet for some reason, Neji stood totally unaffected. It took but a moment to find the reason however; most likely it had something to do with that strange ghostly shape that now stood before him; a flame or wind shaped shield glowing a bright shade of almost white light. Behind this semi transparent wall Neji's smirk could be seen, his eyes narrowed gloatingly.

"Kusanagi no Tsurugi… Yata no Kagami… Yasakani no Magatama…" Neji said, his voice noticeably closer to a whisper, despite its volume and force. The magatama around his neck quivered under his words, before starting to shine brightly just like the shield, and also like the sword. "The greatest sword, the greatest shield, and the greatest crown. Let me show you just what it means when the power of these three items are brought together."

Naruto narrowed his eyes as his Nehangan told him a number of strange things. Aside from the exponential increase to Neji's mental and physical energy as a result of the seal, the items he wielded too radiated with great energy. That power seemed to bleed out from their containers and into Neji's very body, where their individual auras became so distorted not even Naruto could discern them. As he blinked, he realised that there was a transformation going on that was as much visible as what was going on underneath.

Some sort of chakra cloak formed over Neji's body, but its detail was more brilliant than anything Naruto had seen of the Jinchuuriki. This cloak took on the form of a sweeping robe in a pale yellow colour, leaving not a limb or extremity uncovered. On his head appeared an unusual helm depicted like a bird with three legs, two embracing Neji's jaw and the third protecting his nose. The wings of this bird spanned out wide, the beak pointing to the sky. In his right hand, as a part of the cloak, the Kagami shield appeared in full. His transformation ended with this, and a single word that passed through his lips. "Jinmu-Tennou."

The strange empirical form before Naruto was not of something he had encountered before. It was something the Nehangan could almost discern, but existed just outside its capabilities. However in spite of this irregularity he didn't show any signs of being impressed. Instead, he rolled his shoulders back, calling out his chakra cloak in the process. "Big deal." He said, as his blazing eyes became his only visible feature. "Quit showing off and let's do this!"

With that cry he dashed across the ground, dragging the Suijin through the dirt without losing a second of speed. Neji willingly accepted his dare and did the same, resulting in the two clashing midway once again. "It looks like you have finally mastered the Kyuubi's power." Neji stated, as he pushed the chakra shrouded Kusanagi against the Suijin. "At last I get to see just what your true strength is!"

That said, the two of them broke off once again. But this was only to allow themselves to strike relentlessly, blades clashing at increasing speeds and growing strength. "Don't get cocky, you think I'm gonna waste my time going full strength against someone like _you_?" Naruto countered, knocking the Kusanagi aside and following up with a swing of the Suijin that tore the air around it aside. Yet even so it came to a full stop against the Kagami, the shield not so much as shuddering from the impact. _"The Suijin can't consume or nullify this… whatever it is, it's not chakra."_

The Kusanagi moved in the corner of Naruto's eye, and in an instant he moved out of its way. Neji whirled the blade around in a curving arc, turning on the spot to face Naruto once again. "Fighting with only a percentage of your strength when your opponent is giving their all is inadvisable on many levels." He replied, as he lowered his stance and spread out his arms. Then he whipped around once again, in the same motion to use that defence. "Hakkesho: Kaiten!"

Naruto leapt back to avoid the rotation, keeping his eyes on Neji at all times. Something was wrong, there was no dome of chakra generating from Neji's body. In fact, in a short moment he learned that the attack had been a feign altogether. The true attack came in a stunning form, as the Kusanagi blade _extended itself far past its original length_. For the first time in this fight Naruto was genuinely shocked, as the air beneath him became ripped apart by a guillotine that was moving much faster than he was. If he did nothing, he would be sliced apart.

_CHENG!_

That was the sound of the Kusanagi striking the Suijin, as the latter blade was forced into the ground. Naruto pressed his hand against the hilt and used it to stay airborne, throwing his palm out to the rock face not far away. A concentrated blast of wind collided with the cliff and caused it to explode, triggering a landslide of boulders and rocks that dropped from the sky like a shower of meteors. With his eyes fixed above, even Neji seemed uncertain about what would happen here.

The boulders hit the earth, impacting the ground and immediately settling in place. This rain of rocks fell around Neji, completely hiding him from view to the point where he could only be buried underneath. The shuddering quake of this unnatural disaster lasted for the most painful time, tearing the landscape apart at the whim of the person responsible. As it finally came to settle, there was a stillness in the air that threatened anyone daring to disturb it. The dust settled around this mess, closing the curtain on this destructive display.

The terrain was not given any time to rest however, to mourn the scar that had been dealt to it. The rubble which Neji had been buried in quivered and fell apart, the Hyuuga traitor rising with his cloak still covering his body. He straightened up and let out a breath, just as Naruto completely filled his vision. "SHIROKEN!" the ruby red Ronin roared, throwing the white lance around his arm into Neji's stomach. But in spite of the effort, the attack was stopped short by that shield, making nowhere near the progress it should. _"Damn… I though if the shield was busy then I could… looks like the defence is more than just the shield itself."_

Neji looked down at Naruto with a one sided smirk, revealing his teeth in an unceremonious fashion. The Shiroken was corroded to a finish, leaving Naruto's fist hanging in mid air. "Such an attack could never destroy the Yata no Kagami." He said in a goading tone, as Naruto prepared himself to leap back. "It possesses the power to change its nature at a moment's notice, what could _you_ possibly do to overcome such a thing?"

Naruto made a further move to distance himself from Neji, but stopped at these words. A shield that changed its nature? Then that meant even if it itself wasn't chakra, _it could generate chakra?_ With this, and other thoughts in mind, Naruto instantly thought up a plan that had little to no evidence to back it up. Though it had to be said, those were his favourite kind of plans. "Even though you abandoned Konoha like me, you're still from that side of the village that I grew to hate." He growled, even as a grin spread across his face. Instead of leaping back, he pivoted around Neji and drew out the Suijin, holding it back in one hand. "So I'll tell you the same thing I told everyone else back then; DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!"

With that cry he stabbed the Suijin into the Yata no Kagami, causing a flash of light from the mere impact. At first Neji seemed unimpressed, but then something caught his attention that struck him as odd. Lightning suddenly started jumping from Naruto's blade, as the Raiton chakra drawn from Kirabi of Kumogakure was finally released. This was what had Neji's attention, until he saw Naruto reach back with his other hand, his fingers curling into a palm fist.

"FUUTON: REPPUSHOU!"

A titanic blast of wind launched from Naruto's hand, striking Neji with mach force. The Hyuuga's eyes widened in shock as he felt the Yata no Kagami break, and was struck with the full power of that attack. _"Impossible, he managed to counter the Kagami's nature?"_ he thought, as he was thrown from his feet and launched into the broken cliff behind him. He felt the full impact of his back striking the rocks; it seemed his shield had really broken, or was perhaps weakened for now. As his feet slid down to the ground, he struggled to remain conscious. He had allowed his body to relax too much, and as a result was affected by that strike much more than he should have been. He lifted his eyes to look at Naruto, realising much too late that his opponent had gotten close to him again. _"My Byakugan… why didn't it-"_

"Enough of this crap." Naruto growled, the tip of the Suijin just centimetres away from Neji's face. The flames in Naruto's eyes simmered to a quiet drift, signifying his resolution and calm, even if it made his impatience impossible not to notice. This fight really did mean nothing too him; there was something he wanted much, _much_ more than to waste his time here. "Tell me where I can find Uchiha Madara, or I'm gonna make sure you've got a permanent smile right before you die."

At this moment Neji had no such smile. With his shield down he could feel his energy draining from his body, though he didn't understand why. The Kusanagi was still in his hand, but there was nothing he could do with it as he was. With each realisation his expression turned fouler; how he could he have lost so quickly when he had finally gained the power he had so vigilantly sought? This was not how things were supposed to turn out. In the end his only choice was to spe-

Before he could confess what he knew, both he and Naruto heard a sound that froze them where they stood. Behind them, once again, the pile of boulders moved. Naruto lowered his blade, turning around to look at what was going on back there. His eyes widened further and further, his dark cloak fading away and showing a face paled by shock. His lips parted and his eyes brightened, but the clearest indication of what he felt came from what was reflected in those blazing eyes.

"Is that all your betrayal cost, Uzumaki Naruto?"

From the mounds of boulders, rising to their feet, the six paths of Pein stood up. The one that spoke, the Deva realm, was looking straight into Naruto's eyes with his own grey ones, his blank face showing none of the thoughts going through his mind. Behind him stood the Animal, Asura, Human, Naraka and Preta realms, each with their attentions zoned in on the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. For just a moment the Deva realm turned his eyes to Neji, and lifted his hand. The Hyuuga's eyes widened in shock as the Yasakani no Magatama around his neck suddenly constricted, strangling him as if possessed. Neji gripped his throat tight, but soon Naruto heard the thud as his previous opponent fell to the ground. Even so, he was beyond caring right now.

"Pein…" he breathed, looking at the face of the person responsible for freeing him from Konoha's clutches all those years ago. It took him a moment to remember his situation, but when he did he shook his head vigorously from side to side, before shooting the Deva realm an accusing look. "No way, you're not Pein, are you? You're that guy, Uchiha Madara right? Well show yourself, I know you gotta be somewhere near!"

"My my, aren't we an intelligent one?"

Naruto shot his eyes skyward, sending a glare to the new voice high above him. There he saw a strange man in an Akatsuki cloak, wearing an orange swirling mask and bearing distinctive red hair. That man stood atop a crag, with the body of someone who was unmistakably Uchiha Sasuke hanging over his shoulder. That man slipped the seemingly unconscious boy onto the crag and leapt down to the paths of Pein, where he turned to look at Naruto once again. "I have to commend you for the things you have done, but it is all over now. It would be better if you surrendered, but it's fine if you don't."

His words earned only glares from Naruto, in turn answering the unasked question he posed. If that wasn't enough, the way Naruto tightened the grip on the Suijin certainly indicated such a thing. With a slight nod he and the six paths of Pein readied themselves, while Naruto did the same. _"That's… that's the real Pein right there."_ Naruto thought to himself, remembering what he had heard from Gaara previously. _"No matter what… I _won't _kill him!"_

By the looks of things however that decision was subject. He already knew well enough that Pein was strong, but looking at him through the Nehangan was something else altogether. The six realms all released massive amounts of mental and physical energy, though nothing compared to the original. It was that Pein that was affected most by the mental energy of Uchiha Madara, with only one being second. He steadied his breathing; he knew what he needed to do.

"Don't presume… that you can simply steal the stage from my triumph."

Naruto cast his eyes in shock back to Neji, who staggered again to his feet. He could see even without his Doujutsu that the Hyuuga was in no condition to be fighting; the impacts his body had gone through along with suffocation rendered him much too weak. For him to be taking such an offensive position… he must either have been out of his mind, or far more determined than Naruto had credited him.

Before the Deva realm could choke him again, Neji leapt high onto the cliff and out of what he believed to be Pein's immediate range. The cloak from the three regalia strengthened once again, the Yata no Kagami reforming to its proper strength. But it was not his shield or sword that he relied on at this time. In fact, it was the Yasakani no Magatama which he turned to. Before Naruto and Pein's eyes, the glowing white necklace grew smaller red lights on the magatama, coinciding with a fading of Neji's eyes. This fade lasted for but a mere moment however, as the shining light of the Genwaku Byakugan came back fiercer than ever. With that light came a cry, the loudest Neji's voice could possibly produce.

"SANZU!"

With this call the Genwaku Byakugan released a light far more powerful than what could be conceived as possible. This light struck Naruto's eyes, and immediately froze him on the spot. He was not the only one suffering this condition however, as the paths of Pein became trapped in their posture. This carried on to the original, whose mask fell off and revealed a skinny face with a Sharingan and Rinnegan eye. Above on the crag, Uchiha Sasuke lifted his head to receive but the same treatment, any further movements totally inhibited.

Of these three victims, each of them shared the feature of Neji, in that their eyes produced a light so strong their faces became impossible to discern. The very area in which they stood too became shrouded in light, until the space between them was utterly filled. That light seemed to then focus, so that _only_ the space between them was cast with it. From there that light began to darken, dimming without revealing anything around it.

"Kuu ku ku ku ku ku ku!"

That noise rang out through the air as the light turned black, ringing through the air as much as that space was dark. From the centre of this mass of shadows, two figures climbed out. One was the lady of the shadows; Tsukirite. The other was the walking corpse; Mugen. "So these children finally did it, like good little boys!" Tsukirite called out in a shrill voice. Beside her, aided by her embrace, Mugen released a groan that was totally unintelligible. "Now now, later my dear. First let's take you over there; there will be plenty for you to regain your energy."

Without the slightest word to the four victims of this strange display, Tsukirite and Mugen took off for the sky. With their departure the blackness faded away, until it was like nothing had happened at all. Naruto was the first to recover, his head flying in the direction of those two flitting forms. He recognised the woman, hadn't he destroyed her already? _"Damn it, is this what she wanted us to do?"_ he thought, turning fully to face them. _"All this… they're NOT getting away!"_

He broke out into a run, giving chase to Tsukirite to stop whatever it was she intended to do. But before he could get very far he was interrupted, as the leg of Pein's Human realm struck Naruto in the chest. "GWAH!" he cried out, as he like Neji struck the wall behind. The paths of Pein stood in his way of the direction he was headed, just as Neji and Sasuke both straightened up. As Naruto looked between these other figures, he realised something that put him on the brink of panic; they didn't have the slightest memory of what had just happened here. _"Damn it, what the hell is going on?"_


	36. Seven paths leading in a single

Apologies for the late release, the laptop that my college gave to me decided that deleting my entire document was a better plan than saving it, so I had to start again from scratch. Fortunately in doing so it seems I managed to get another 800 or so words into it. All the same, that doesn't make up for the aggravation of breaking the rule of updating I've tried to maintain since the start of this series. Well with no further ado, here comes the prelude to the final few chapters in this trilogy!

* * *

**Seven paths leading in a single direction**

It wasn't safe to stay there, not with the presence of those people. The danger was too much top handle head on; the only option was to create distance. All through the valley explosions of dust, water and earth could be seen, caused by large explosions or oversized creatures. Whatever conflict was going on down there, it was far too scattered to be the result of a one on one fight. A multitude of battles had to be going on for destruction on this scale to be occurring.

Pure fortune guided Naruto from his previous situation, one that threatened a hasty end to everything he had done. The six paths of Pein and the original had surrounded him, with Hyuuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke releasing threatening auras from behind. What he wanted was to track down that woman and her companion, yet by the look of things getting out of the area would have been hard. Yet that luck came in the form of Uchiha Sasuke, who turned on Neji and attacked him, yelling out "bastard" in the meantime. With that disruption Naruto managed to escape, and was now in the process of running as fast as he could.

It wasn't easy to run from someone with six bodies and six fields of vision however. He had needed to create enough Kage Bunshin to distract the realms while maintaining enough chakra to fight back if the need arose. It was true that he didn't quite know the limits of the Kyuubi's power yet, but now was not the time to find such things out. On this occasion he chose to play it safe, taking the advice he had heard so often and attempting to learn more about his opponent than the opponent did of him.

Now he fled through the dry forest, leaping from branch to branch in a pattern erratic enough to ensure his movements wouldn't be predicted. Not far behind him the Preta realm gave chase, keeping close even with its heavy bulk. That was enough to tell Naruto to be careful; he prided himself on his speed and strength, yet this walking corpse was following him without the slightest sign of strain. To test his paranoia even further he felt one of his Kage Bunshin disappear, and learned to be wary of giant pandas.

The Preta realm continued to chase him diligently, its silver eyes locked onto the blond boy's back. This chase seemed like it would have no end, and so he took measures to change that little belief. From his sleeves slid out a pair of small black rods, which he hurled at Naruto like they were kunai. The dark darts shot through the air, striking the tree Naruto had just reached and deciding the target's path for him. Naruto sharply turned to the right, heading towards the river not too far away. But as payback for being led like a dog, Naruto whipped around mid jump and threw his hand out.

Preta realm reached out with its hands, just as a gale force of wind shot by, scarring the trees around without throwing a single hair out of place upon its target. The Preta realm then looked at Naruto once again, its eyes narrowing in something of a suspicious manner. "Isn't that the Jutsu I myself taught you?" it asked, its hands returning calmly to its sides. "Quite insolent for you to attack me with it. Is that your way of saying you won't give in no matter what?"

Naruto burst from the trees and landed on the river, scattering ripples out in all directions. His jaw tightened at the memory of that day, one of the only times Pein took a personal hand in his training. The fruits of those labours had been a Jutsu that Naruto had favoured since then, almost like a treasure. That's why he felt pain right now. How long had Madara been in control of Pein's body? Had he ever really known Pein at all? Of everything that happened to him since the first time he left Konoha on that fateful night, how much of it had been part of the play set out by some demented puppeteer?

Hastily he shook his head from left to right, before hurrying his pace along the cold river. He couldn't afford to think like that, to let himself succumb to Madara's whim. It was _him_ he was fighting, not Pein. Madara was his enemy, and Pein was the person he wanted to save. Remembering this, he grabbed hold of the Suijin and came to a sudden stop, slashing around with magnitude force. The great sword struck another of the Preta realm's black rods, causing a spark as the temperature of that spike suddenly increased in temperature.

"This is an unusual sword you possess." Preta realm said, studying the Suijin with its Rinnegan eyes. Through them he saw things that were indescribable to most people, yet yielded invaluable information to him. Naruto too learned a good few things, though his understanding was not aided with the help of his Doujutsu. "To think that Kisame would fall to you, that the Samehada would choose you over him. This sword is a traitor to Akatsuki. I shall make sure that it is properly destroyed."

Naruto chose not to listen to Madara's goads, but from the back of his mind he thought he heard something that was almost a growl. He looked to the Suijin, wondering perhaps if the blade still possessed an individual consciousness even after being fused. But then his eyes turned from the blade to the rod that blocked the blade, and suddenly a memory from before came to his mind. "These rods… that snake!" he blurted out, the image of that giant white serpent pinned to the wall of Orochimaru's base returning to him. His stare turned back to the Rinnegan, eyes widening in shock at the revelation that came to him. "You _do _know about her!"

The Preta realm offered no response, but its hand suddenly snapped out to grab. Naruto leapt back and avoided the grapple, turning away and resuming his flit. He needed time to think; both about what he had just realised and what he learned of the Preta realm's skills. Looking ahead he saw the end of the river, and the waterfall that birthed it. He aimed for that place and with the overweight Pein in tow, he began to leap from wall to wall and ascend the cliff.

"_The Suijin couldn't consume his chakra… that was because _he_ was trying to consume _mine_!"_

This thought was all good and well, but as he reached the top of the falls and leapt higher into the air, he came to find something else to distract his crucial thought process. He recognised the land before him as the place where he had left the rest of Yoinokuchi. Yet no matter where he looked there was no sign of his comrades. This was a troubling thought to him; did they see the commotion going on down there and decide to investigate? It would be bad if they involved themselves and lost to Madara, worse if they ran into Neji and Sasuke.

He landed on the ground, a good distance away from the edge of the cliff. The Preta realm wasn't so stylish, instead simply vaulting over the rock and landing at the precipice of the descent. With the gap between them there was nothing to gain from haplessly running in. Both knew that the opponent had learned something valuable, and were waiting to come up with counter strategies for defending against such a thing. Well that seemed to be the case, but then Naruto spotted a small black object from far behind the Preta realm flying into the air. That thing arced through the air at a high speed, before landing on the ground next to the Preta realm.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Smoke exploded around the animal and Preta paths, smoke Naruto used to back off even further. He expected some sort of huge rhinoceros or a giant ugly bird, but what he got was _so_ much worse. As the rest of the paths of Pein appeared before him, he realised he had given himself away in that small display of the Suijin's power. In a fit to learn what he could in return, he dispelled the surviving Kage Bunshin. Unfortunately the things he learned did not bode well for him.

"So you really did see Tsukirite then." the Deva realm said, taking the foremost position of the other paths. These words of confirmation struck Naruto like a wrecking ball, almost physically moving him back. The coolness of which the Deva realm said this was reminiscent, but not identical to the manner Naruto remembered of Pein. The only thoughts going through his head then was why Madara would be willing to let someone like Tsukirite do as she liked. "Then that would explain why you have Orochimaru's eyes. Yes, it makes sense that it would be you, since you are here now."

His words made no sense to Naruto, but it didn't seem as if he intended them to in the first place. Speaking simply for the sake of telling something; was that the sort of person Madara was? Naruto couldn't tell himself, but by the flickering flames returning to his eyes it was clear he wasn't in a mood to talk, as was the dark red chakra that soon covered his body once again. Madara had a response to this as well though. It came in the form of the Deva realm lifting its hand into the air, outstretching its fingers towards Naruto.

"Bansho Ten'in."

Naruto's already taught face was pushed even further by the shock of being lifted from his feet and into the air. He didn't have time to analyse this Jutsu, for he was being pulled towards the intercepting Human and Preta realms at great speed. Seeing only one choice to save his own skin he adjusted himself and pushed his hands behind him, causing a burst of wind that increased the propulsion rate by a vast majority. He managed to slip past the two assaulting paths and even the one responsible for taking him from his feet. But there was no way to avoid the Asura realm up ahead, who reached up to the eye patch it wore and swiftly tore it off.

In a smooth but speedy instant, the cloak of the Asura realm flew up into the air. From beneath that shot out six prosthetic looking arms connected by six artificial shoulders. The hands of these arms fired in rapid succession, grabbing Naruto first by the neck, and then by the arms and legs. Naruto choked from the intense grip this realm had, its smiling face staring at him with one Rinnegan eye and one yellowing Sharingan.

The flaming iris and slitted pupils of the oppressed Jinchuuriki stretched past human capacity, making the line between physical characteristic and chakra effect unclear. But there was a more important point than that; the Deva, Preta and Human realms were closing in on Naruto's back, black rods drawn from their sleeves. Naruto could not hear these silent movements; he could only see them in the reflection of the Asura's silver eye. In the moments he had left, the last traces of Naruto beneath that chakra cloak disappeared, leaving his oversized eyes glaring at the oncoming paths from their corners.

_CHI-CHIKT!_

The black rods were shattered prior to impaling their target, not by any human means at all. The places were the spiked ends of those weapons struck white bone that grew from Naruto's back; a spine, shoulder blades and ribs that spread around to Naruto's front like a suit of armour. The Asura realm stared stonily, the smile momentarily disappearing as a fox's skull grew over Naruto's head as a bony helmet. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's blazing eyes glared from the sockets of the skull, as the fox's jaws opened wide and began to gather chakra.

Hastily so the Asura realm hurled Naruto aside, a move that was only half wise. As the whirling mass of carmine chakra and growing bone spun through the air the gathered chakra fired out in a constant beam of energy. Though the paths of Pein managed to dodge these spinning lasers of death, the cliff on which they stood on was not so fortunate. The red rays of chakra sliced through the ground like a hot knife to hotter butter, causing the entire cliff itself to shatter and fall to the canyon below.

The six realms fell down this distance, boulders surrounding their entirety of angle and direction. Each of them easily maintained themselves, but all the same they whipped around with their eyes scanning the descending debris. No matter where they looked, those faint slipstreams of demonic chakra stayed in their line of sight for the barest of milliseconds at a time. It seemed that Naruto had succumbed to instinct, yet not thrown strategy aside either. But the one inescapable detail that Madara couldn't deny was that with each fleeting glimpse the Jinchuuriki seemed to possess more tails.

"Enough of this." said the Asura realm, the situation failing to erase the smile that had returned to its face. These words barely escaped its lips before the other realms attached themselves to boulders, then subsequently leapt in any direction that distanced themselves from Pein's largest realm. Upon the Asura realms bald head, thin lines became defined as fractions of it split apart, opening up to reveal a mechanical device where a brain ought to have been. From this cavity a blue light began to shine, before an incredible explosion of said light burst from the crown of its head and blasted out ruthlessly.

_THROOOOM!_

The huge boulders that used to be the cliff, and rocks so large they couldn't simply be called such, corroded instantly to dust like the passage of time in an entire second. The Asura realm landed on the floor of the canyon, surrounded by the cloud of grit crafted by its own hand. The sound of granite raining from on high cast all around, whispered curses of the deceased land. Straightening up, the demon path turned its eyes over its horizon, scanning for any sign of the affected target.

The dust cloud behind it scattered suddenly, with a swish of seven tails. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki stood on all fours, his digits turned into dark claws and the Kyuubi's skeleton complete over his body. Hot steam came out of his jagged mouth with every exhale, the tails curling through the air of their own accord. The guttural growl that escaped the seven tailed form's mouth sounded nothing human, perhaps indicating just how much of the Kyuubi's will Naruto was willing to unleash.

The gathered dust finally allowed visibility, even if it took its time in doing so. From where Naruto remained shadows appeared, shadows that defined themselves as being the other realms surrounding their target. The Asura turned to complete the three hundred and sixty degree view of Naruto; a perfect circle around this trapped beast. The Kyuubi's snarl could be heard from the depths of its jaws, rising into the air in spite of a still expression. Those evil looking eyes glared out all around, showing bestiality and intelligence at the same time. The paths of Pein moved.

The Human realm earned Naruto's attention, running at the boy straight on. To either side broke out the Deva and Preta realms closed in, the former leaping high into the air while the latter remained inconspicuous. Behind, the Animal realm ran through a short series of seals, before planting its hands upon the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" it called out, its voice making Naruto whip his head back in shock.

Doing so led to his undoing, as the ground beneath him exploded and a giant centipede rose into the air with him upon it. Before he could counter or leap off however, the huge bug disappeared in time to the Deva realm reaching the height of its jump; directly above Naruto. "Shinra Tensei!" it called out, its outstretched hand aimed down at Naruto. The boy felt his gravity increase tenfold, and was pulled down into the pit created by the centipede without any ability to resist. The Preta realm quickly hopped in after him, just before the Human realm performed an aerial axe kick the shattered the ground around the pit and buried the two inside.

The rumblings died down, and the five realms stepped around the filled pit with their eyes upon it. The Preta realm was totally blind down there, but from its power Madara knew full well what the situation was. The seven tailed form of the Kyuubi was pinned down both by the Preta and the boulders, unable to move as the chakra was pulled out of its body. The power the realms felt was incredible, tempting and fierce. The smile upon the Asura realm's face for once seemed to have feeling behind it, a genuine pleasure at the success of Madara's action. Naruto was losing consciousness.

Or so he thought.

The ground behind the Asura realm erupted suddenly. The attention of the other paths quickly turned to it, the closest of which whipping around. Yet the movements of Pein's bodies were much to slow to do anything more than comprehend what they were seeing. The earth tore apart as Naruto burst out, without so much as his eyes powered by the Kyuubi's chakra. Around his arm was a whirling white Shiroken, propelling itself straight towards the Asura's head.

"_That eye is where it all started!" _Naruto thought, as every sharpened tooth in his mouth became visible from the grimace upon his face. He remembered the day he learned Pein's true nature, the Sharingan that didn't belong of the other realms. With the power of his eyes he could see that that unnaturally given eye was the centre of Madara's foul mental energy. He was willing to bet this shot on it, the only remaining power he had after creating the Kage Bunshin decoy buried beneath them. All for this one chance. _"I'll destroy it with all I got!"_

The Asura realm's expression flattened as the tip of the Rasengan pierced the Sharingan, tearing it apart instantly. The white blade flew on through that body's skull, ripping the flesh and mechanics apart as if they were paper. In but a single moment the Asura realm had been beheaded, and fell to the ground in a heap. The Shiroken faded away from Naruto's arm, and he was provided with a full view of Deva realm raising its hand, and saw its lips move in a single phrase. "Shinra Tensei!"

The force hit Naruto as strongly as his own Fuuton: Reppushou. His glare became nothing more than a simply stun look as he was taken off his feet and thrown back through the air. _"Was I… wrong?"_ he asked himself, while flying like a rag doll. That had been the last of his strength; the Preta realm had successfully taken all that was the Kage Bunshin. As his back neared the ground and he anticipated Pein, only one thought came to his forlorn mind. _"Did I screw up again?"_

He hit the floor and rolled through the dirt, his limbs and head cut and bruised by the stones and branches on the valley floor. A gasp of pain shot out as his back struck a tree, forcing him into a seated position. His eyes were barely open, their conception barely equating to anything. Up head he could see the paths of Pein, but in the state he was in the world was spinning, cruelly tricking him into thinking that the universe was swallowing them up.

A pair of thuds struck his ears, much closer than anything that made sense. He blinked to himself and looked up, realising in shock that his vision was perfectly fine. What he had thought to be the world spinning around was in fact the appearance of the person who had disappeared at the start of this tiresome battle. Pein's real body appeared before him, carrying the unconscious forms of Hyuuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke splayed on the ground to either side. Naruto struggled to get back to his feet, refusing to be taken down on his behind. He stood with his back against the tree, looking at Madara as defiantly as he could manage.

"You… idiot!" Pein's voice snarled, his face contorted to Madara's whim. The Sharingan blazed furiously on his right, the crimson iris sitting atop a silver sclera. Pein's body strode the few yards towards Naruto, grabbing him by the collar of his cloak. The other hand lifted into the air and curled into a fist, threatening to leave an indent in the bark right behind Naruto's skull. "I already told you it's pointless to resist!"

Naruto refused to bat an eye at Madara's roar, and instead waited in anticipation for the coming punch. He wanted the Kyuubi so bad? Well that was too damn bad, cos the only way he was going to give up was when he was dead! It was this defiance he gave to Madara, the perfect opposition. That was the trigger that certified the end, as Pein's fist launched straight for Naruto's face.

_CRACK!_

* * *

The cold, crisp air carried the scent of water and frost, a depiction of winter prior to its arrival. Puddles carried with them an inherent calmness, embraced by the touch of ice that crawled in from each side. The silence in the air was like that of a missed heartbeat; an eternal moment containing absolute nothingness. This white moment settled in comfortably, before closing its eyes to enter a deep, deep slumber.

Naruto blinked, his eyes wide and his lips parted. Just inches by his head the bark of the tree had cracked, the guilty fist embedded in the crater it created. Madara's Sharingan eye glared at Naruto with the same level of shock shared by the boy saved from that devastating punch. He could make no sense of his failed attack, and as such was subject to a moment of fear that rooted itself in his psyche like a vicious wolf choosing its den. The crimson eye whipped around for any clue to its predicament, before settling on Naruto's. There, in the reflection of those yellow eyes, the horrifying answer came.

The Rinnegan glared at the Sharingan from the corner of its vision.

"Im-impossi-" Madara began, before Pein's face contorted suddenly against his will. The fist by Naruto's head pulled out from the bark and the other released its grip on the cloak, as the owner of these extremities backed off several steps. His hands flew to his face, his feet tripping over scattered rocks from the fallen cliff and causing him to drop on his back. He writhed as if in pain, throwing himself from one side to the other. Steadily his expression turned more and more to hatred, but the strain to the muscles became less and less. Soon it was little more than a curl to the lip, but one that released so much killer intent it was suffocating. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly he became still, his arms gripping his face almost to tear it off. But he didn't move, nor did he make a sound. Naruto looked upon him with a bloodless face, still trying greatly to comprehend what he had just witnessed. He stumbled forward, as the change in mental energies gave him a flicker of hope. He passed Hyuuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke, before coming to a stop right next to the original Pein's body. He stared at that face, and realised in this short time he had failed to get a proper look. Even now hands hid the appearance of the person he most admired, the person whom he had never properly met before.

_Thud!_

Naruto jumped from shock, his neck snapping in the direction of the sound he had just heard. Over there, by the filled pit created to trap him, the Animal realm fell to the ground. Soon after this the Human realm too collapsed, dropping to its side and hitting the very bed of rocks it itself had created. The final to fall was the Deva realm, who stared right at Naruto with blank eyes and a gape. That body, the one Naruto had most associated with Pein, fell first to its knees, and then to the ground. For the moments that came after that, Naruto found it rather hard to breathe.

He jumped again then as he felt something grasp onto his cloak. Looking down with a startled face he realised he had been grabbed by the hand of Pein. But rather than pull him to the ground, or stage some attack, the person who took hold of Naruto's clothes used the grip to pull himself up. Naruto watched this person uncertainly, but what the Nehangan was telling him gave him hope further. "… Pein?" he asked, looking at the hung head of Akatsuki's leader.

That very person paused at Naruto's voice, looking around to see the boy staring at him uneasily. A good few seconds passed, before Pein's hand rose to his face and lifted his hair. There both of his eyes were revealed, neither one of them bearing the slightest sign of possessing a Sharingan. "I am indebted to you, Uzumaki Naruto." Pein said, as he let his hair fall back over his right eye. He looked on as Naruto desperately tried to fight himself, but the glimmer in his eyes was undeniable. "You have my deepest gratitude."

The grin Naruto tried to hide forced itself upon his face, to an extent that strained his already beaten muscles further. The knowledge alone that he hadn't failed was enough to render him totally elated. However from this situation he couldn't stay in a good mood. There was one thing he needed to know, something he had to understand first. "What happened?" he asked, his smile falling and taking on an even more embarrassing look of worry. His earlier concern that he knew nothing of the real Pein remained within him, niggling at his insides.

Pein blinked slowly, looking at Naruto with a serenity the boy couldn't achieve no matter how he tried. But in that serenity there was a tone of shame, one that left him unable to continue looking Naruto in the eye. "In a rapacious bid for further power I took something that I should never have desired in the first place." he explained, saving face with as grand a response as he could manage. "I took the eye of Uchiha Madara in order to gain his power and knowledge. I was arrogant to believe it would be so simple as to control something like that."

He kept his gaze out toward the smoke trailing above Konoha, soon drawing Naruto's attention to that very same point. Suddenly he recalled the reason behind all this distress, and with it came another question to his mind. "Hey, you know about that woman right?" he asked, looking again at Pein. For some reason he felt great ease, did being able to rely on Pein really make it that easy for him to relax? "Madara mentioned something about her, and Orochimaru."

Pein gave a slow nod in response to Naruto's query, though he kept his attention on the place ahead. He didn't answer immediately, but when he did he didn't hold back anything. "That woman is the one responsible for the creation of what is known as "kekkei genkai"." he explained, speaking from the knowledge he had gained in the incarceration of his own mind. "She is an entity consisting totally of Yin energy, while her companion is complete Yang. Those two are the ones responsible for creating the Juubi, that which the nine Bijuu came from. I would wager that the reason they have come like this is that they intend to create another."

This information did little top alleviate Naruto's worry, nor did it make all that much sense to him. But he recalled the Juubi from the stone tablet years ago, the terrible legacy that monster left behind. If that was what that woman wanted, what she used him and the other doujutsu wielders for, then there was no doubt in his mind about what he had to do. Steeling himself for what was to come, he stepped ahead and began to make his way to Konoha.

"Wait." Pein said, turning his eyes to his rescuer. Naruto came to a stop, but didn't look away from his destination. He could feel Pein's gaze boring into his skull, as if trying to read the very contents of his mind. It was a little uncomfortable to tell the truth. "What that woman wants is to bring a new Juubi to this world. If she succeeds I can take control of it like the Rikudō Sennin before me. Like this Akatsuki will succeed, and the Jinchuuriki will no longer be its target. If you stop this from happening, we will have no choice but to do as we intended to from the very beginning."

Naruto listened to the words of the one person who could convince him of just about anything. Hearing him say such things, confirming most of what Madara had said, it stung like ice in Naruto's heart. But even so he didn't let himself fall to his emotions, not when doing so would weaken his resolve. Instead he clenched his fists and bowed his head, containing his explosive feelings within his volatile body. "If we let her have her way, all that will happen is that history will repeat itself, and nothing will change!" he exclaimed, keeping his voice as steady as he could. "All that anger… all that fear… just how much pain do you think this world can handle?"

That question carried out through the entire vicinity, echoing out through the canyon walls. Pein looked at Naruto through distant eyes, listening to a question that he himself had never asked. "Without pain people could never hope to understand peace." he said, with a calmness that Naruto couldn't manage if he tried. "Mankind can never be allowed to realise they have attained peace, for in doing so they lose all desire for it. To maintain peace a constant stream of pain must come their way, so that they will always seek the peace that will free them from suffering. So to answer your question, there is no end to the pain this world must go through, if it means maintaining peace."

This explanation brought with it the greatest weight of Pein's beliefs, a weight that far surpassed whatever Naruto's simple mind could process. However his fists unclenched and his body relaxed, nowhere near as tense as it was a moment ago. "You know why people are different from animals right?" he asked, his voice steadier yet by no means without its tension. He looked up at the smoke over Konoha, and saw the destruction that one person alone had caused. "People are selfish because they can think of themselves. But they're worse because they can think of the future. I hate them for that, because it's easier than forgiving them. But like that, I'm not so different. It's easier to see the bad stuff than it is the good. But if she wins, then all we'll have to look at is the bad stuff, you get what I mean?"

He listened out for an answer, hoping that Pein would have something to say that would get rid of this discomfort he was feeling. Yet as he waited with no reply he just felt worse and worse, until all he had was the resolve to follow through on his words. However just as he made his first step, he blinked in surprise as Pein strode past him, moving towards Konoha at a much quicker pace. This time it was him staring at Pein's back, but without anything intelligent to say.

"You're… going to help?"

Like Naruto had before, Pein came to a stop. Unlike Naruto though, he turned his head over his shoulder and let the swordsman see his silver eye. Together they stared for many moments, before Pein decided to answer Naruto's question. "If she is allowed to succeed, the world will see pain so great that it will be impossible for them to even think about a thing like peace." he said, with just the faintest of glints appearing in his otherwise stoic expression. "That was what you wanted to say, was it not?"

Naruto stared back at Pein in silence, caught off guard by this sudden change in intention. Did that mean what he think it meant, that _he_ had managed to convince _Pein_ of his way of thinking? That seemed almost impossible to him, yet at the same time it was a reality he was in no way willing to let go. "Yeah!" he called out, breaking out into another grin. With his resolve totally restored and his mood bolstered considerably, he rushed to catch up with Pein and make it to-

"Stop."

Once again he was interrupted mid step, but this time he was grabbed by the hem of his cloak. He looked down by his legs in surprise, staring at the barely conscious Hyuuga Neji in quiet wonder. "That woman… the one you spoke of…" he Neji breathed, looking up at Naruto through a beaten face. He seemed to have ridded himself of his previous conceitedness, perhaps in the face of being beaten so shamefully. "Is she the one who is responsible for all of this?"

Naruto's yellow eyes met with Neji's white ones, searching them for something he never thought he'd find. With some gathered uncertainty he looked over to Pein, who also had his attention locked on the Hyuuga. Both of them were in agreement that Neji was no threat; that he was barely clinging to self awareness as it was. As such, Naruto felt no reluctance when he crouched down, bringing himself closer to Neji's level. "She's the reason Orochimaru came for you, and probably the reason you're here." he replied, wondering just why he was telling such things to his long term rival. "She manipulated all of us to do _this._"

Neji listened to Naruto's words, anger clearly welling up in his eyes. But he contained himself, stuck in the awareness that he was a threat only to insects right now. Instead he fixed his gaze, a much more penetrative look than merely staring into Naruto's eyes. "Then she is the dark cloud that has been shaping my destiny?" he asked, his words totally rhetorical. The clenching of his teeth indicated a decision, as did the shine appearing in his white eyes. "Then accept my assistance, and rid us of that dreadful woman… Ninigi!"

Once more Naruto was caught in a daze, but this one brought him to lack nothing. He could see the trail of mental energy between his and Neji's eyes, and felt a slight invigoration that told him he was being granted something he couldn't yet perceive. After mere moments of this unclear clarity, the trail between them disintegrated, along with the shine in Neji's eyes. The Hyuuga defector's eyes closed, and finally he embraced the sleep his body demanded.

Naruto straightened up, his face still caught in a confused expression. He turned his gaze over to Pein, only to see the Rinnegan still focused upon Neji's form. Under scrutiny however, Pein soon looked back at Naruto, and with the shared gaze they came to a decision. Together the two of them headed towards Konohagakure, to bring an end to a plan that was years in the making.


	37. The last leaf is torn underfoot

Man... this really is what you might call the final chapters' grind. But this feels a lot different than my previous fics, maybe because I have a different sort of ending in store this time around. Well I can safely say that the next chapter should be the last one. I'm not sure if I'll be sad or glad when this series is over. Trilogies are certainly tough work, I think I'll keep away from them for a while. Anyway, here is the second to final chapter.

* * *

**The last leaf is torn underfoot**

It was hell, named in no way by the misleading power of melodrama. Terror and despair hung in the air louder than any sound, fouler than any scent. Screams of pain rang out from any direction, while blood splattered the surroundings in grizzly paint. The village of Konoha was being raped beyond recognition as endless tremors crushed the buildings and trees of this once beautiful civilisation. Fire molested the homes of the fleeing villagers, while chasms opened up and devoured the helpless people. Hope was beaten away with each shake underfoot, each explosion crafted in the distance. Konoha had already fallen.

That was the terrible seen that befell Naruto and Pein, both of whom stood at the summit of what had once been Hokage mountain. They looked down at the ruined village and while neither felt remorse, both of them knew that this was the very kind of pain that they had discussed not long before. This was what Naruto needed to stop, and what Pein was coming to understand as well. Without so much as a glance to each other, the two of them dropped off the wrecked monument and fell through the air to the ground below.

Their descent from above showed them the situation in greater detail, but levied little information that could be easily understood. Something was here that did not belong to Naruto's memories; though in truth he didn't need them to know what he saw was wrong. Long black cables ran through the village, dark ivy that grew faster than any plant possibly could. Already it had become an ironic forest of steely wires, yet those alone could not be identified as the main problem. However as Naruto and Pein landed on street level they found that these cables seemed to be sentient. That being that rather than just growing, the seemed to have particular destinations. Namely the villagers.

"HYAAAAAAAA!"

Their attentions were pulled to their right as through the flames of the collapsed academy and to the street opposite a woman ran out, tripping over a piece of fallen debris. The two of them watched silently as one of those cables appeared after her, the long thin needle at the end glinting in the sunlight. That needle swooped down on the felled woman, piercing her chest and triggering another blood curdling scream. The cable jerked just like its prey, until eventually both of them stilled.

"Did you see anything?"

Naruto took a moment to realise he was being spoken to, and a moment more to look at Pein. He couldn't tell if the Rinnegan saw anything of what just happened, or if Pein actually wanted to know what the Nehangan had to take on this. "Yeah…" he quietly replied, turning his head towards the now dead woman. He knew exactly what had happened, and actually felt rather disgusted about it. "The cable pulled out her mental and physical energy."

"Yes… which means that it is going somewhere."

It seemed that once again the two of them were in agreement, a fortunate path to be on in this land of confusion. But before they could think much further, they were interrupted again by another presence. The cable that penetrated the woman's body was sliced apart suddenly by a Konoha Shinobi futilely attempting to save her. This person didn't take long to realise it was pointless however, and looked genuinely downcast as a result. But then he realised he was being watched, and looked up at the two intruders, staring in quiet shock. Pein met the person's gaze, but soon realised he was not the focus. Looking over at Naruto, he saw that the Konoha Shinobi was not the only one surprised.

"An acquaintance of yours?"

Naruto continued to look at the face of his old sensei, the one man in this village who had ever tried to protect him. It had been a long time since he last saw Umino Iruka's face, even that scar felt nostalgic. But all the same he didn't feel like having some emotional reunion. "Not anymore." he replied, turning his head away and to the neatest available path. As he walked on Pein glanced again at the Shinobi by the woman, watching as two more cables appeared from the alleyway and chased him off.

They walked through the panicked streets, watching nonchalantly as people ran for their lives. Blood and corpses littered the roads, the cables coming and going as they pleased. From what they saw as they walked along, those serpentine wires were ruthless. To the ground, to walls, even to ceilings in some cases. There was no end to the places bodies were pinned to. And then when the cables had extracted all they could, they detached themselves and moved on once again.

It seemed the Shinobi of Konoha were doing everything in their power to avert this threat. Occasionally they saw fireballs shooting up to the sky, or explosions that were barely noticed amongst the constant tremors. And at less fortunate times, a Shinobi's body could be seen thrown about by the cables they fought against. "The ninja are harder to extract from because their bodies contain more power." Pein noted, as he saw an overweight ninja from the famed Akimichi clan getting pierced repeatedly by no less than three spikes. "Perhaps in a sense that is the best protection they can offer the civilians."

In truth Naruto really didn't want to think about it. He did his best to ignore what went on around him, as much as he could allow himself to. He hated Konoha with all his being; that much would never change. But with something like this, even he couldn't help wanting to do something. He forced these feelings behind the wall that was his objective, and instead put his full attention onto that. "We gotta find where these things are coming from." he said, searching for the answer to his unasked question. No matter where he looked the truth was unclear. Where was the start of these cables, where they all began? If they weren't snaking out from the streets they were breaking through the fissures. "It's hard to see where the energy is going. All these damn wires are so tangled up I can't tell which one is which."

It seemed by the look Pein wore that he too was having trouble defining the centre of this ghastly event. For all intents and purposes his Rinnegan was the perfect eye for comprehending chakra. Yet for all he knew those two from before didn't even use such a thing. With that to acknowledge, and his inability to use his realms, he knew that he was in a disadvantageous state. For all intents and purposes however he was prepared to do whatever was necessary. That was why when he scanned the surroundings, he came to a single, simple idea; "We should ascend."

With no arguments against that plan the two of them leapt up to the buildings on either side, careful not to fall beneath the weakened structure. Naruto scanned the horizon, yet all his Nehangan told him was where the drawing of mental and physical energies were at their greatest. But that was no leading evidence, as memory dictated that those were the places that were easily crowded. If probability was anything to go by, the people bottlenecked themselves there and paid a vicious price. However, looking off to the west side of Konoha he saw what appeared to be a gathering of energies that was not brought on by the web of cables.

"That must be the place where the survivors have been gathered." Pein said, his eyes focused on the same area as Naruto. Though Akatsuki's leader knew little of that place, Yoinokuchi's leader had a vague knowledge of it. That place was an arena of sorts, one that was used only on special occasions. He himself had never been inside it, but barely recalled hearing about it back in his days as a ninja in training. "There is a barrier over there that seems to be stopping the wires. That must be where Konoha's barrier squad is."

Now they were moving beyond what Naruto knew, but all the same he was in agreement. Now that he looked closer, that concentration of energies was much more defined than he first thought, perhaps indicating that he too could see such things? Whether or not that was the case, they knew now where that man and woman most probably were _not_, however useful that may have been. Still, it was one lead they didn't have before. So for now that had to be their destination. "With that cloak on and my reputation, we better lay low while we find out what's going on." Naruto said, turning his head back to look at Pein. "Last thing we want is the Shinobi around here blaming _us_ for all of this."

"Even though it is in a way our doing."

Another fine point that couldn't be argued with, one that caused Naruto to chuckle half heartedly. All the same they shared that idea, and quickly broke off to do as planned. They weren't sure just what they could learn, but they had already decided looking alone wouldn't be enough. As Naruto dropped down to the alleyway he slipped his fingers between his lips, letting out a quiet whistle that carried well in this dump. He only hoped that the dogs had not been targeted by the cables; their immense size would certainly make them a nice attraction.

"NARUTO!"

Naruto looked over his shoulder with a look of mild surprise, spotting at the end of the alley non other than the person he had noticed not long before. The dark brown ponytail and tanned skin was marked with blood and dirt, the scar across his nose reddened with the rush of blood to Umino Iruka's face. Naruto turned to look at his old sensei, surprised that he had been followed during this time. "Yo Iruka-sensei, you remember me?" he asked, with a calmness that didn't help the position he was in. All the same he pointed to the sky, directing his finger at some of the cables overhead. "Hey, you don't know where those things are coming from by any chance?"

His lack of emotional reaction turned the cause of his concern to reality, as Iruka's face turned quickly to distrust. The sweat streaked face twisted to a demanding glare, his breathing growing heavier and heavier. "Does this mess have anything to do with you?" he cried out, ignoring Naruto's question in place of his own. "You don't expect me to believe that you would show up here at the same time as this happens totally by coincidence do you?"

Turning to face his old sensei, Naruto decided he didn't particularly feel like treating this guy seriously. Narrowing his eyes to the point where they appeared almost closed, he displayed the dim witted expression that in the past was glued on his face whenever his teacher asked him a question. "Hey sensei, just how bad do you think my pranks are?" he asked, taking note of his hounds gathering secretly on the rooftops above. "What are you saying; I'm some sorta terrorist that hates Konoha?"

He would have had to struggle to keep himself from laughing, if not for the head jerk that Shinmaru gave from up ahead. That signal translated to one simple thing, and as a result told him there was no point in wasting time here. "You should probably head over to the shelter or something, there's not much you can do here." he said, taking a step back prior to the running leap he was about to perform. "I guess it'd be too much to ask you to try and call back the other ninja to huh?"

"What- wait, NARUTO!"

But Naruto was already gone, soaring through the air and onto the back of the waiting Shinmaru. In no time the six dogs were dashing over the rooftops, avoiding the crumbling structures and rising flames. Naruto held onto Shinmaru's neck, his eyes fixed firmly ahead to the place he was being taken. "Get me to Gaara!" he needlessly ordered, already well aware that that was what Shinmaru intended to do in the first place. _"If anyone has a chance of making it through this, it's… huh?"_

Once more he was distracted, but this time by something that didn't directly involve him. Just as the dogs passed over a street, he spotted Pein standing resolutely in the centre. Behind him was a face Naruto much less expected to see here; it was none other than Jiraiya. From the looks of things Jiraiya was trying to say something to Pein, but Pein kept his back to the Sannin. It was when Naruto passed over that Akatsuki's leader looked up and rudely left Jiraiya where he stood, rejoining Naruto once again.

"You guys know each other?" Naruto asked, as Pein began to run alongside the dogs. With a slight gesture and a helpful Kunimei, Pein too soon rode the back of one of these useful hounds. Yet even so he seemed resistant to answer Naruto's question, and Naruto acknowledged that now was not really the time to pry. "The rest of Yoinokuchi are here, I'm going to meet up with them and find out what they know. Gaara will know who you are right away, you sure you're ok with that?"

Again however he received no answer, and came to accept that perhaps Pein and Jiraiya had more than just an acquaintanceship. He never figured Pein to be the sort to like being pried upon, so simply took the silence as an affirmative. _"Guess the world isn't as big as I thought."_ he told himself, faintly recognising parts of this place and recognising things that were far beyond recognition. _"Knowing Jiraiya, he won't just let something like this… yep, he's following us."_

For an old man he was fairly speedy, but fortunately these dogs were no slouches either. Though it was obvious that Jiraiya would eventually catch up, for now there was no trouble. There was one point that Naruto couldn't help realising though; the great Sannin of Konoha hadn't appeared to summon his toads. Perhaps that was an indicator that he had been right, and that the larger the creature the more it was welcomed by those needles. And from that another point caught his attention. Though they had been here only a short while they had encountered a great deal of those bloodthirsty cables. So why was it neither of them had been attacked yet? Could it be that that woman still had need of them?

"Over there."

The place Nagato directed to was a large, elegant building by the name of Kikyo Castle. It was one of the primary landmarks of Konoha, the place the Daimyo resided during his rare visits. The golden fish statues on the roof glinted in the sunlight; the building appeared relatively untouched. But through the eyes of the Rinnegan and Nehangan, Pein and Naruto could both see what looked like a barrier stretched over that place. However what Pein perhaps couldn't see, but Naruto could, was the pulsing aura that depicted only Bijuu energy.

The hounds leapt down from the rooftops and into the street, rushing towards the main doors of this proud palace to meet with the ones responsible for erecting such a defence. Only one figure was within immediate view, the one that would probably understand the situation fastest. Naruto slid off of Shinmaru's back just as Gaara turned his head, looking to both him and the man in the Akatsuki cloak.

"We thought only you could move through the air like that, and followed them." Gaara explained, short and sweet. He looked at Pein for a moment, and as Naruto predicted there was no outburst or visible show of a reaction. Gaara turned back to the castle and looked upon it, indicating to the seal spread out at his feet that travelled around the stretch of the castle. "For now we are maintaining the barrier, but we are planning to break it in time to attack with our full Bijuu power. That should be all we need to do."

"It won't work." Pein smoothly replied, stepping beside Gaara and glancing at the seal. Naruto could see what Pein was getting at; if those two really were trapped inside the castle yet were still capable of unleashing this hell upon Konoha, then that could only mean that either the barrier wouldn't affect them, or the place the cables came from was somewhere else entirely. "She is a perfect form of mental energy, can move like a ghost wherever she likes. He is the ultimate rendition of physical energy. It will take something other than brute force to scratch his skin."

Naruto looked at Pein from the corner of his eye, once again revering the Rinnegan that told him so much. All the same the things he heard didn't make him the least bit relaxed, even less so that Yoinokuchi were trying to attack the source. "There isn't anything you guys can do here." he said, as he used the Suijin's chakra negating field to allow him and Pein to step through the barrier unhindered. He turned and looked Gaara in the eye, making sure no misunderstandings could be made. "Go back to Keishi… and protect it ok?"

Pein went on ahead to check on the door, while Naruto turned to follow. But Gaara wasn't willing to let this go so easily. He neither liked being told what to do without understanding what was going on, nor the look that his friend was wearing right now. "Naruto." he called, stopping the swordsman short. He stared at the back of Naruto's blond head for a few moments, before accepting that his leader wasn't going to turn his back on his destination. "After everything you've done, convincing us to leave our homes, getting us to follow you across the world, building an entire village… are you really fine with leaving things like this?"

Naruto looked on at the castle ahead, sensing within his two greatest foes. Gaara's words made him think back to a better time, when it was just the two of them following Kisame on their training journey. But now Kisame was dead, killed by Naruto's own hands. Those days were long over. "I've learned some things in the past few months, things I would never have realised on my own." he said, with a small smile playing upon his lips. "I know who I am now, and what my existence means for this world. Take care of the others; you were a better leader than I ever could be."

With those final words he left Gaara be, making his steps toward the castle ahead. Pein had already opened the door, and now it was a simple case of entering and forgetting every experience he had ever had with his fellow Jinchuuriki. "You're wrong." Gaara said, his voice low but his eyes hard. He spoke to Naruto even if his friend wasn't listening, knowing that he couldn't leave these words unsaid. "What you are about to do is something I never could. You will always be our leader, so come back to us soon, alright?"

His words caused Naruto to hesitate for a moment, but he didn't stop his gait. He approached the tall wooden doors and stepped inside, placing his hand upon the handle to close it. There he saw Gaara's face again, and for a moment deluded himself. It looked like Gaara was actually reminiscing. But of all people, he would be the last to do something like that right? _"It's up to all of you now."_ he thought to himself, as the thin trail of light that was the outside world grew thinner and thinner with the creaking of the door. _"I'm sorry… I'm so selfish."_

* * *

The main chamber of Kikyo castle was a glowing dining hall, traditional while at the same time so extravagant. Impressive ink paintings of glorious daimyo and glamorous wives adorned the walls, lit up by torches held in cavities behind them. Upon the floor long tables spread nearly from wall to wall, with legless chairs tucked in on either side. The silverware and ceramics upon these tables could only belong to those of great wealth. A true pity then that they were so seldom used.

It was this room however, that was the centre of chaos in this village. Here Tsukirite stood with her smile returned, looking up to the grand ceiling almost blissfully so. Beside her sat Mugen, who had been adorned in one of the Daimyo's robes for means only Tsukirite could explain. He however wore them only around his waist; his bare, mutated chest clear to see. He sat in an unusual position, a meditative stance with his legs crossed over and his hands lying across each other in his lap. He no loner let out his constant groan, but the mouths on his faces continued to hang open almost chronically. With the stillness of his body he looked like he was carved from wood, though if that were true then the carpenter would have to have been demented beyond hope.

The sound of wooden doors slamming apart led Tsukirite's attention to the upper balconies surrounding this multi-purpose room. There, behind the red cedar wood railings, two faces very familiar to her appeared. The crescent smile on her face stretched wider as she expressed genuine pleasure that two of her "children" had come to join her. "So you didn't kill each other after all… I'm happy." she said, without a hint of a lie in her shady voice. "Does this mean that you wish to play with _us_?"

The joy she expressed was by no means shared by her two spectators, Naruto and Pein. The both of them watched this dark pair, one with wide eyes and the other with narrow ones. But against how Naruto wanted to do things, Pein had another method that predominated the other one's less civilised manner. "There is no doubt that you intend to rebirth the Juubi, and from appearance it looks like you intend destruction." he said, giving no clear sign of where he stood on such things. "What do you intend to make from all of this pain, all of this suffering?"

Tsukirite's smile slid from her face at that question, her keen manner waning with discontent. She turned away from her questioner and looked on at the ink paintings on the wall, a hand slipping onto her hip in a casual stance. "Planning, scheming, that's far too bothersome." she replied, giving a dismissive wave of her other hand to indicate her thoughts. "There is no shortage of universes, and we just so happened to take a disliking to this one. It's this whole "ninja" thing, it seems so… _cheap_."

The two humans from above vaulted over the railing and landed on one of the tables, scattering utensils and shattering plates beneath their feet. Naruto had already drawn his blade, but Pein signalled against that decision with a hand. He gave unto Tsukirite a look of utter contempt, his aloof nature dispersing in favour of what was really inside. "No shortage of universes… an intriguing notion if nothing else." he said, his tone as foul as his expression. "But senselessly destroying an entire world simply on a whim is nothing more than a waste!"

"_Waaaaaaasssssteeeeee_…"

The Rinnegan and the Nehangan flew suddenly towards the walking corpse Mugen. His leathery skin stretched taught as he voiced out that single word, stretching his lips as if exploring the full potential that lay in the pronunciation of that word. "Huuuuuuummmmaaaaaaannnnn…." came out that deathly, ancient sounding voice from Mugen's deceased mouth. Slowly he unfolded his legs and rose to his feet, standing tall with his hands out to either side and his head held high. "Tiiiiimmmeeee… spaaaaacccceeee…"

As this grotesque example of a humanoid being spoke, his skin seemed to shudder. It stretched across his face, removing the wrinkles yet making it look by no means less hideous. Now the brow was lifted in a permanent look of surprise, the lips pulled back and revealing rotting gums. These lines of flesh then began to bleed, as from that mouth fangs began to appear. The blood from this abominable sight ran down Mugen's chest, which like his face became taught as well. Soon the wrinkled corpse was tough and muscular, yet appeared more like some sort of leather rendition of a human.

"All these concepts… that you hold _so _dear…" Mugen said, his words more discernable, but containing notions of disgust and supremacy. He extended his hands further, his long fingers extending and revealing razor sharp nails. Without any warning he drove these nails into his own stomach, before horrendously dragging his claws up and down his entire body. The look on his face showed no sign of pain, only growing rage with no clear reason behind it. "Are but the palest of shadows… in the blackness… OF ETERNITY!"

With that he drove his fingers into his chest, and with a gut wrenching cry he ripped himself open, displaying all of his revolting insides for Naruto and Pein to see. Tsukirite let out a laugh as she stepped in front of Mugen, the corpse like man stretching his own flesh wider apart to embrace her. "Wait… before we begin I have a request." Pein said, showing no response to the sight that would make most hurl. Naruto shot Pein a look, wondering what on earth could be more important than gaining a quick advantage. "You're eyes… let me see them."

The smile on Tsukirite's lips slid for a second, an almost stunned look upon her. But then it returned with even greater length, almost reaching the place where her ears ought to have been. "My my my… you really _are_ a clever child." she said, in a noticeably giddy air. At her whim she allowed him his request, and slowly her eyelids split apart. There, underneath, was a pair of perfectly white iris completely unblemished by things like pupils. "Then again, it is to be expected of someone possessing _touchan's _eyes."

Naruto was struck suddenly by a bewildered feeling, his gaze flying from Tsukirite to Pein and back again. That woman had eyes, _Hyuuga_ eyes no less. And what was that about a father? "For the three regalia to be so important to your plans there is only one person who could have known so much about them outside the Rikudō Sennin himself." Pein said, both displaying what he knew and explaining the situation to the clueless Naruto. "Of the Sennin there were two sons noted by history. But of course, history tends to forget about the daughters, isn't that right?"

"Bah, those regalia were my find, my possessions, until dearest touchan decided that he wanted them!" Tsukirite shot back, folding her arms with a clearly disdainful stature. Then she stepped around Mugen, draping her arms around his shoulders and resting her head by his neck. There her smile returned, with a soft stroke to the cheek of her love. "_I_ was the one those regalia chose, the one with the power to awaken them! It was because of them that I met Mugen, and there that I was no longer bound down by that pathetic excuse for a father! And then he did _this_, created this _thing_ called Ninjutsu… well I will allow him to despair from his grave as I rip apart the legacy he valued most!"

With that declaration Mugen turned around, and once more widened his body to accept Tsukirite inside. The daughter of the Rikudō Sennin gave a last smile to Naruto and Pein before turning around and allowing Mugen's embrace. Then they listened to the sickening grind as Mugen closed his self inflicted wound, before turning around to face them. The slash he had dealt to himself had already healed to a scar, but one that glowed like molten rock. A faint like pierced the darkness of his eyes, and he bared his fangs greater than ever before.

This was a time where years of fighting against hellish foes granted a sense of things to come. Without so much as a needed indication Naruto and Pein darted off to either side. That turned out to be a fortunate decision, as the exact moment they moved aside Mugen occupied the space they had been, the table he stood upon shattering from the force of his step. _"His body doesn't coincide with typical laws of physics."_ Pein noted, his eye behind him as he landed on the now raised end of the table. His attention lifted then as Naruto too landed on the far side, but unlike him that over enthusiastic swordsman was already rushing in to attack. _"There is no need for all of this… why are they even bothering?"_

Mugen felt Pein's penetrative stare, but noticed Naruto's approaching presence. He turned on the nearing boy and slashed out with his clawed hand, his forearm striking against the Suijin. Naruto's eyes flickered to the place he hit; he could see blood dripping down the blade, yet the arm was most certainly still intact. With a grunt he pulled the blade back, the barbed edge pulling on Mugen's arm and forcing the monster's face into Naruto's fist.

"AGH!" Naruto cried out, as that abomination's jaws opened wide and clamped down on his entire hand. If left but a moment longer his entire extremity would be devoured. Though the pain made it hard to concentrate, Naruto did his best to channel Fuuton chakra into his hand. Then, with a successive swipe, he slashed his hand out of Mugen's mouth and took half the beast's face with him.

"I see that this won't sate my thirst at all…"

It seemed that which both Naruto and Pein had already sensed was turning out true. Mugen turned away from Naruto and hopped off the table, landing on the floorboards and shattering them instantly. He disappeared down below, but neither of the Shinobi rushing to investigate yielded any knowledge from looking down there. Surely they weren't looking down a bottomless pit.

Then something happened. A shake to the earth that found dust in the rafters above and brought it down for the two to see. The quakes grew ever stronger, until both knew that remaining here was unsafe. "MOVE!" Pein called, breaking the pause in Naruto's mind. The blond swordsman gave a sharp nod of his head, before he and Pein leapt towards the ceiling. With a blast of wind an opening was created, and soon the two landed on the roof.

The tremors that passed through Konoha grew to something impossible to conceive. Buildings fell and the ground split open, swallowing entire streets without the slightest touch of compassion. This chaos was what Naruto and Pein saw, but they also perceived so much more. Fumes of physical energy rose from the fissures, waves of mental energy floating out. They both realised just what it was that was happening. Yet it wasn't until a titanic mass of flesh lifted itself out from the ground, obliterating the last of Hokage Mountain, that they truly understood what they were looking at. That mass turned to face them, a long crack across it splitting open to reveal an enormous eye somewhere between the Rinnegan and the Sharingan.

The eye of a Juubi was upon them.


	38. The Daemon of Pein

Oh my freaking... I never expected this final chapter to come out like this. I was asked in a review if this would be my longest yet, and I said probably not... well I was wrong. I can't believe how much I got out of this, but I was unwilling to leave things unsaid. And so this is it, the final chapter in what has been a story that has lasted nearly for an entire year. I hope you enjoy it, because writing it just about tore my shoulder muscles apart. But as one final note, for those of you who enjoyed this series. For a short while I will be working on a fic from another franchise, Tales of Vesperia. That will only be about 6 chapters however, and I will be getting straight into my next Naruto project as soon as it's done! So for those of you who stick around, see you soon! For those who don't, I hope you enjoyed youselves!

* * *

**The Daemon of Pein**

A monster that had only graced this earth once before, the union of two masses of physical and mental energy. That was the being known as the Juubi. Its size far surpassed anything Naruto had seen before, greater even than the Bijuu he had experienced not so long ago. As this massive mountain of flesh rose into the air, long thin limbs supporting it, the true scale of this thing was revealed. It was bigger than Konohagakure itself.

A skeletal humanoid shape bearing seemingly no fat at all, its skin stuck to its skeleton like some sort of adhesive tape. More than a human, it looked like some sort of hairless panther, its immense eye aside. It prowled over the village on all fours, letting out a strange sort of guttural purr as it breathed.

From far below the mass of this beast, Naruto watched with a look of madness. He had never truly been able to comprehend something of this mass before; it had always been his belief that there was a limit to just how large something can be. Yet this thing took up the entirety of the village he was born in, and simply from lifting itself from beneath the earth it had laid the entire place to waste. Suddenly he didn't have to think too far to realise just where those cables had been taking all that energy to.

"Naruto."

Naruto turned his eyes to the side just for a moment, but no matter what he couldn't tear his attention away from the Juubi for long. It was like the behemoth drew his eyes in, something that demanded attention without the slightest bit of effort. "This is going to take more than we can provide to certainly put an end to this thing!" Pein called out, grabbing Naruto by the shoulder and forcing the boy's attention to himself. "There's no choice; we must call back the Jinchuuriki and use their power to-"

"No way!" Naruto interrupted, pulling himself out of Pein's grip. He couldn't bring the others into this; a fight that had been caused by his own actions. If he hadn't gotten caught by Konoha, if he hadn't been so ignorant to the power that woman gave him, if he hadn't been so prideful as to try and do everything in his own simple minded way, this mess would never have come to been. "This is our fight, our responsibility! We're the ones who let ourselves get pulled into their pace, we're the ones who should fix this!"

Without waiting for argument he turned around and whistled into his fingers, calling out the dogs once again. The loyal hounds came as ordered, leaping up to the roof of Kikyo Castle and joining their master. The look of fear on their faces was clear, and as such Naruto let them see his gratitude as he approached them. "I need you guys to lend me your strength now." he said in a voice that had calmness forced into it. He reached out with his hands and touched the faces of Akira and Hotei, his two most loyal dogs, and smiled to them. "Can I count on you?"

Although the dogs seemed by no means less afraid of the terrifying beast above them, they gave their wines and nuzzles in response. The ground trembled as the Juubi shifted its huge arms, colossal hands casting immense shadows across the broken Konoha. Naruto was grateful for the courage his hounds displayed, and quickly whipped out some scrolls from his pouch. With a quick seal he created five copies of himself, and together they hastily attached these scrolls to the dog's collars. However, before the purpose of the scrolls could be attained, the Juubi lifted its hand again and soon they were all eclipsed by that mammoth shadow.

Soundlessly the eight forms leapt out of the way, barely making it aside before Kikyo Castle and the surrounding buildings were crushed beneath the Juubi's hand. Pein was now split off from Naruto and the dogs, sliding through the crippled street with his life just barely intact. As he straightened up to study the beast further, he gave pause as he felt something against his back. "Is it wise to waste time with such a thing?" he asked, his gaze fixed solely on the eye of the Juubi far above. "You are wasting your time if you think killing me will save your village."

"Since you didn't deny your involvement in this, that makes you the only person who has any answers." replied Jiraiya, gripping his kunai tight. He gave off a murderous vibe that glanced off of Pein like rain against glass, trickling off his cool, hard exterior. There wasn't any intent behind that sensation though; simply that Jiraiya couldn't hide his feelings under such stress. "The entire village has been destroyed, and if you're the one who knows how to stop this thing, then you better believe I'm going to do whatever it takes to get that information."

To this Pein gave a turn of his head, just enough to see the old man behind him. The look he gave in that thin trace of an eye was not of shock or anger, but a simple case of ennui. "Is that all your so called "Will of Fire" amounts to?" he asked in a compassionless tone. Jiraiya clearly didn't get his meaning, and so he turned his head away again before obliging him with an explanation. "A village is more than a plot of land isn't it? It is your duty as a Konoha Shinobi to make sure that as many of your charges as possible survive. Leave this fight to us and protect who you can, if it will keep you from being in the way."

More of a discussion could not be made as the Juubi reacted again. It bowed its head low to the ground before suddenly rearing it, letting out a deep and hollow moan that would bring even lakes miles away to tremble. Once again the clouds in the sky gathered up, and soon the sunlight itself was omitted beneath a blanket of shadows. The Juubi lowered its head, just as a black aura began to cover its fleshy body. Its ears grew in length to that comparable of a rabbit, its eye becoming defined through the blackness. But what was the clearest change of them all was a single black tail that grew from the base of the Juubi's spine. At this sight Pein showed a response, a shocked expression that soon brought a turn of his head.

"NARUTO!"

"I KNOW!"

From the rubble of the streets around, Naruto rode out on the back of one of six armoured dogs, with the determination to overcome the obscurity of his reappearance. The black plates and spikes that covered his hounds certainly made them look more threatening, and the fact that Naruto held the Suijin tight in his hand added to this effect. He knew well what Pein too had realised. The Juubi was slowly developing itself, and thus far had succeeded in creating but a single tail. That meant they still had time; that this beast was more size than anything else right now. With that information stored safely inside, Naruto was able to hold a strong charge towards the monster's hand.

The perception of the Juubi appeared to be its only redeeming feature at this moment in time. Though it was slow, clumsy and rather oafish, even with something as small as Naruto's dogs it could see, and perceive. It raised its hand and swiped down after the mutts, but against its expectations the beasts used its hand as a footing. The monster took a moment to realise that rather than crushing the dogs, they were now running up its arm without a hint of slowing down. By the look of things the Juubi contained non of the intelligence of those responsible for creating it, though considering the way its body was that could simply be subject to the time being. Nonetheless there was one simple notion that it could easily comprehend; get the tiny things off its arm.

The speed at which the hounds flitted across this inconsistent flesh was truly remarkable. Once more Naruto was glad that he had put so much effort into their athletics training, for they certainly were paying off now. He looked off to his left and glared at the giant claw of the Juubi that moved towards them, its intention clear and in no way kind. He raised his own hand against the monster, narrowing his eyes as he tried to get a sense of scale. Yet no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't afford to expend the chakra necessary to stop that claw from reaching him. As much as he hated to say it, it seemed that he was going to have to do things the hard way if he wanted to get out of this alive. His jaw was tight, his eyes unsettled. He lowered his lips to Akira's ear, and began to whisper his command.

A sudden, crashing sound, like two boulders colliding with each other at hurtling speed. With it came a flash of colour in this otherwise grim place, a huge mound of something a very pale brown. Naruto watched with anxiety as he saw the Ichibi no Shukaku grab onto the Juubi's wrist and bite down on it, its golden eyes watching Naruto from their corner. "Gaara!" Naruto called out, before witnessing the Sanbi no Kyodaigame drop from above and land on the Juubi's arm, snapping it beneath its colossal weight. "Yagura!"

"You should really give up on trying to make us give up!"

Naruto turned his head to the right, seeing to his shock Utakata's face not too far from his. The bubble nin was poking out of the body of the Rokubi no Namekuji, flashing Naruto a smile by no means deserving in this situation. From his other side the Gobi no Irukauma could also be seen, taking a few steps back to attack. "Oh by the way…" Utakata added, his smile turning a little uneasy as he gestured behind him. "It looks like we were followed."

"HOO BABY, THERE AIN'T NO GAME WITHOUT THE KIRABI, KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?"

Before Naruto could confirm his thoughts, he caught sight of a blast of chakra that flew over his shoulder and struck the Juubi square in its eye. The monster reared its head back and let out a scream, a shrill shriek that even now seemed to echo out. Naruto turned his head back in shock to see none other than the Hachibi no Kyogyu itself staring back at him, its massive mouth closing from its own attack. "YO KYU-BOY, I HEARD YOU WERE TAKING THE FIGHT STRAIGHT TO THOSE AKATSUKI BITCHES!" Kirabi's voice boomed out, its volume maximised from the body of the Hachibi. "IN THAT CASE AMMA TAG ALONG, AND LEAVE YA'LL IN STITCHES, WHEEEEE!"

He didn't like this, Naruto. This was supposed to be a fight that didn't involve people who weren't responsible for it. Yet at the same time he couldn't help feeling relief at the back up provided. He had to admit than in a battle like this he was going to need all the power he could muster. _"If only I hadn't used so much chakra fighting Madara, I could be doing the same!"_ he thought to himself. But there was no helping it now, what's done is done after all. "Don't any of you dare die, you got it?"

His response came not in spoken words, but roars emitted from each of the beasts as they waged war against the largest of them all. The Ichibi launched balls of wind that struck the Juubi like an uppercut, while the Sanbi used the demon Tanuki as a springboard to leap into the air and slash the monster's throat with its tails. The Rokubi then spread its slimy lips apart and spat out a globule of some sort of gunk that struck the Juubi's wound and immediately began to burn at it with some acidic mix. The Gobi followed up by executing a much more agile leap that took it to the head of the Juubi, before exhaling a stream of steam that could melt rock. This string of attacks ended with Kirabi, who charged straight for the Juubi's stomach with its jagged horns impaling the titan's flesh.

"OOOORRRRHHHHH!" the Juubi howled, as it was blinded, choked and gutted from the attacks made by the fragments of its predecessor. It held its head high in the air as it released this cry, but continued to hold it up even when relative silence returned. Naruto and the rest of the Jinchuuriki had their slither of hope taken from them as nothing more happened than the growing of another tail. And with it, the healing of the wounds they had just inflicted.

"_Well of course it would possess great regenerative powers, enough to surpass the Kyuubi's at the very least."_ Pein thought, as he distanced himself from this clash of titans and did what would be best in this situation. No physical wounds would remain on this thing for very long, and while it was fought against it continued to grow stronger. At the moment the most it could handle was swipes and slashed, but anyone could tell that the attacks it was making on the Bijuu were getting faster and closer. How long until it could make true attacks, the sort that had earned the original its terrifying legend? _"How did you do it Rikudō Sennin? What was the key to your success against this creature?"_

The Shukaku cried out as it was grabbed by the Juubi's massive hand, lifted into the air by its arms and throat. From the eyes of the Ichibi Gaara glared out, before the Juubi clenched its fist tight. The demon tanuki exploded in its grip, sand befalling the village was the rest of it crumbled. Next to suffer the Juubi's wrath was the Sanbi, who tried again to break the limb of the ever strengthening colossus before it. But this time it was to no avail, as the Juubi moved its limb in time to avoid the attack.

Then, before any other assault could be made on it, the Juubi lowered itself down to its haunches, before springing up and back to an insane level. The six hounds clung onto the Juubi's flesh, fighting quite literally tooth and nail to keep themselves from falling the great height that the Juubi effortlessly ascended, then again as it crashed down to the ground miles away from the village. The earth and trees were torn apart as the Juubi dug its heels in, creating what in the future would become entire lakes and rivers.

Though in the distance the five Bijuu were hastily giving chase, and soon would reach, Naruto had other concerns on his mind. The Juubi could heal at such an incredible rate, past what even the massive chakra blasts of the Hachibi could achieve. It could jump miles at a time, and crush even something the size of the Hachibi with relatively little strain. Yet all he had managed to do during the Juubi's simple leap was hold on for his life. He needed to do something, to come up with a solution.

"NARUTO!"

For the second time he heard Pein's voice, yet was shocked by the fact that the leader of Akatsuki was already here. Looking up to the sky he saw his temporary companion flying on the back of a hideous bird with a deformed beak and three wings and legs. That bird shot in and around the Juubi, who could barely follow its movements, before swooping into the dogs on its arm. In a quick movement it grabbed the dogs in its beak and talons, with Naruto leaping onto the back to join Pein. "What is it?" he asked, looking at Pein bewilderedly.

"I have a plan for defeating it." Pein simply replied, as his bird swooped down to the ground a good distance away from the Juubi. There the dogs were placed on the ground, with Naruto and Pein hopping down, before the bird itself roosted as well. From the place atop a tall hill they could clearly see the other Bijuu reaching the Juubi, this time combating the beast with greater care. "For now however let's allow them to hold it back. We need time to prepare, and the exact moment."

That was a dangerous move to make for sure. The Juubi had already shown to be greatly resistant to damage, even if it could still feel pain. The others would have to watch not to get caught by it, but more than that there was the issue with the number of tails. Naruto recognised all of this, and as a result he already didn't like the plan. "Come on, lets hurry." he said, deciding to relent behind the decision of someone who clearly had learned more than he had. "What's the plan?"

Far across the field, where the Bijuu gathered, the landscape was becoming something that was already unrecognisable. The stomps and claws of the Juubi created canyons and valleys, even now some of which were being treated by broken rivers. The smaller Bijuu dodged the attacks and retaliated with their own, using force of numbers against the beast that was ten times their size. The Rokubi spat out another ball of slime, this time however it struck the Juubi's eye and stuck fast.

While the monster gripped the gunk and attempted to tear it off without ripping its eye out, the Ichi and Gobi teamed up and took to the Juubi's front. There the former released a ball of wind, and the latter a ball of fire. These two elements hurtled through the air and neared each other, coming together just as they impacted the Juubi. The resulting explosion caused another roar from the titan as it lifted itself up onto its hind legs. With a screech it pulled off the goo and glared at the Bijuu, just in time to see the Hachibi pick up the Sanbi.

"THIS MOVE IS A DEAD RINGER; I CALL IT THE BEE STINGER! UWHEEEEE!"

With that cry the Hachibi whirled around, before hurling the Sanbi with all its might. The three tailed giant turtle whirled through the air, aided by a constant stream of water it blasted from its mouth. It struck the Juubi before the giant could move out of the way, all three tails striking and wrapping around its neck. The Sanbi then used this grip to swing around and onto the back of the Juubi's head, clamping on tight and forcing the behemoth to bow down.

Then, the worst possible thing happened. From the base of the Juubi's spine, the third tail had already grown. But against expectations, that appeared to be where that method stopped. Instead, the tails that already inflicted their presence upon this world divided, splitting into two separate tails each. As the six tails of the Juubi broadened their form, the surrounding Bijuu were crushed by a sudden and powerful increase to the pressure in the air.

"This is… impossible!" cried Yagura's voice, emanating from the Sanbi's body. The tails that gripped onto the neck of the Juubi lost their hold, and soon the turtle was sent tumbling down the back of the creature. It fell to the ground like the other Bijuu, even like the Hachibi and Gobi further away. This weight… was it gravity, or a killing intent like no other? Being under this kind of pressure… it reminded each and every one of them of the first time they truly felt fear.

The Juubi looked down at the animals before it, gazing over the small raccoon dog and the slug beside it. It gazed up at the ox and the horse, and even behind to the turtle stuck on its stomach. It turned its head back to the front, its huge eye narrowing slowly. Just as its eye completely closed, the space beneath it opened, a thin but long set of jaws opening like a first breath. Then its body began to change again, this time small differences upon itself. On each of its shoulders, the back of its hands, its stomach, its back and its knees, a pair of cracks appeared on each of them. These cracks opened up, revealing themselves to be a single eye and a single mouth each. Steadily, chakra began to gather at each of these openings.

Back on the hill, Pein was on his hands and knees. His face was twisted and in clear discomfort, but displayed no signs of resistance. Just above him stood Naruto, who wore all the signs of resistance that Pein refused to release. Between the two of them was the Suijin, the hilt in Naruto's hand while the tip was on Pein's back. But suddenly Naruto lifted his blade, a half defeated look on his face. "That's it… I won't take any more." he said in a defiant tone. He felt revitalised, the chakra Madara had taken from him mostly restored. But by the weakened look about Pein he could tell this wasn't easy.

Pein took a moment of rest, but no more than that, before he pushed himself back to his feet. He lifted his head just in time to be near dazzled by an explosion of crimson light that burst from where the Bijuu fought. Both he and Naruto watched as a sphere of chakra broke out from the Juubi and struck the other Bijuu, completely enveloping them in that light. When the explosion dissipated, there wasn't a single one of them who was still on their feet. "EVERYONE!" Naruto yelled out, hurrying to get to his fallen comrades. But Pein grabbed him by the wrist, and returned the glare given with one equally strong.

"Going now will only end their lives; we must finish the preparations _now_!" Pein shouted, allowing none of his words to be ignored. Everything they had been doing while the others fought was detrimental to the plan, the only conceivable way to defeat the Juubi. Throwing things aside now would equate only to their deaths and the deaths of many more people too. This was the message conveyed through Pein's expression, something that Naruto regrettably had to acknowledge. The two of them turned away from the fight for now, and instead looked at the seal which surrounded the hounds. "I have no doubts about this technique, but the process of using it requires total cooperation. If they don't comply, they will die."

Naruto nodded, yet with this too he was unwilling. He and Pein stepped to the side of this seal, looking upon the dogs and checking for any faults to the technique. The armour had been removed, along with their collars. The dogs were as bare as they could be, and clearly nervous of what was to come. Pein ran his hands through a series of seals, ending on the ram. "Zoufuku no Jutsu!" he called, his eyes narrowing as he triggered his technique.

He and Naruto watched as the seal around the dogs glowed from blue to a pale white, before totally obscuring the beasts behind it. Howl could be heard from inside, sounds like fear or maybe adrenaline. Naruto stood as close to the seal as he could, doing whatever was in his power to keep his hounds calm. Yet the duration of the Jutsu was not as long as he had thought it would be. Soon the light faded, and the results were clear.

The six dogs had been replaced by a single, considerably larger dog. Where each of them had reached the size of a horse, this one was easily comparable to an elephant. Upon its back the tiny wings that each dog had possessed became a pair of much larger ones proportionally. Also, upon its face, six pairs of eyes could be seen. It was unclear now, if a beast like this could even be called a dog any more. And yet as Naruto looked upon it, only one thought came to mind. "Is it reversible?"

"They should be able to merge and disperse as they desire, but only with the aid of a powerful chakra." Pein replied, as the light of his seal came to end. He let his hands drop to his sides, and regarded his work with unclear feelings. Then he looked over at Naruto, recognising the dislike upon his young companion's face. "Yours should do fine. But there is something much more important we need to focus on. That gift Hyuuga Neji gave you, can you use it?"

Naruto let his eyes pass over to Pein, before returning to the dogs for a moment more. He gripped the hilt of the Suijin and pulled it out, looking upon the cold blue steel and sensing that which Pein spoke of. He focused upon the sword, and with the aid of the consciousness of the Ekokaeten and Samehada combined, he seemed to succeed. What he saw made him gape. "Indeed… the Totsuka sword…" Pein muttered, viewing the aura that emanated around the Suijin, an aura that took the form of a blade much larger and much, _much_ longer. The dark red light that extended around and past the tip of the Suijin was like moulded flames, flickering yet stable. "This was Uchiha Itachi's… and it is the key to defeating the Juubi."

At first all Naruto did was stare at the sword, his silent face looking over the power given to him only an hour before. He seemed almost too bewildered by it, but then it began to fade. When that aura was completely gone, he slipping the sword onto his back again and turned his head to look at Pein. "Let's finish this." he said, as the fiery quality to his eyes returned. Pein gave a nod in reply before the two of them turned to the great dog and leapt onto its back. Naruto knelt at the base of the hound's neck, leaning in close as his body became covered by his carmine cloak. "Let's go… Inugami."

The newly named composite hound barked in reply, turning to face the Juubi to the distance. It appeared the collective consciousnesses of the six dogs together formed a great courage in this new animal; a good omen if any. Inugami took a few steps back, before dashing forward and performing an incredible leap while spreading its leathery wings apart. Before anyone knew it, the great dog was airborne, soaring through the air from a combination of speed, strength and given aerodynamics. This distance between them and the Juubi, merely a stroll in comparison.

Spotting an incoming target, the Juubi turned to greet the grown hound that raced through the crater caused by that blast from before. A pair of giant claws were lifted into the air, the eyes and mouths on its body closing and disappearing, before the Juubi slashed down to eradicate this pest before it could truly become a nuisance. The already murdered land was subject to further violence, more than what a thousand years could recover.

And yet, the attack did more than the Juubi intended. It realised a moment too late that it had missed altogether. Or rather, this new beast before it had dodged out of the way and leapt across its arms, making quick work of travelling up to the Juubi's head. Inugami landed on the giant monster's shoulders for just an instant, before flitting up to the Juubi's head and even further. The Rinnegan-Sharingan eye raised to look upon that beast, just as a sound filled its ears.

"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU: GEDO!"

The Juubi's eyes widened as it heard a deep rumbling from directly behind it, but was allowed no time to investigate. A giant head had grown from the earth, something semi-human and empirical. It looked like the head of some deformed king, bearing the Rinnegan in its eyes. This king allowed its jaw to drop all the way to the ground, before an uncountable amount of fleshy arms shot out from its mouth. The hands of these grabbed onto the Juubi, wrapping themselves around its arms and head, pulling it in. The Juubi shot its arms out, and was just able to keep itself from being pulled in. Yet high above it could see that dog descending again, but more notably a long blade of chakra aiming right for it.

The Juubi was facing its death. It knew what that blade was capable of; it could see the intention of it clearly. If it continued to struggle against the thing behind it, that blade would spell its end. Yet if it allowed itself to be dragged into the summoned thing's mouth, it was unlikely that would bear good results either. Its choices were limited to but three options, and right now only the third gave it a chance at survival. Without a word the ground beneath it became covered in its black chakra, before the Juubi suddenly fell through it. The thing that trapped it could not fight against gravity, and was forced to relinquish its grip. The Juubi disappeared, with the hole it created disappearing with it. Yet before that hole could totally vanish, Inugami slipped through just in the nick of time.

* * *

For a moment, Naruto didn't understand what had just happened. He thought that he had fallen into a cavern of some sort, but such an idea fell behind the suddenly stronger daylight present in this place. The sky was still cloudy, but it was nowhere near as dark as it had been just a minute ago. Wherever they were, however they got there, it was clear they were now _nowhere near_ Konohagakure.

They appeared to be in a mountainous range of some sort, the cold, barren hills suggesting somewhere in Kaminari no Kuni. There was no sign of civilisation in any direction, the hills themselves almost totally devoid of nature. They truly were in a deserted place, which was in this case quite preferential. Miles ahead of them, though granted that wasn't much in this case, the Juubi perched on the mountaintops, its single eye fixed upon them.

"It seems to have realised that it shouldn't let us get so close." Pein said, from his place knelt on Inugami's back. He and Naruto were both studying the Juubi from their own perch, glad of the peace of having no one else interfering. When it became apparent that the other Bijuu could do little more than distract the Juubi; that purpose disappeared with the sixth tail. "Perhaps its even trying to assess our strength… it had become much more intelligent than it was before."

The Juubi appeared for the most part silent, freely assessing the ants it had come to be wary of. The questions running through its mind were clear, even if the thing lacked facial expression to dictate. What was that weapon from before? Did they have anything else like it? Just what were these pests? Each of these queries was no secret, but none of them were what the two Shinobi were focusing on. The Juubi had raised its tails behind it, with two more added to the ranks.

"_If it gets to ten, who knows what we could do to stop it?"_ Naruto thought to himself, knowing that Pein was probably telling himself the same thing. Their earlier strategy had failed them, and if it was true that the Juubi would not let itself be tricked twice, then they needed a whole new plan. He let his head drop as he tried desperately to come up with something. He needed to do some of the work too. Yet even as he waited, soon the Juubi would be too much even for… the… "Wait a minute…"

Pein heard Naruto's quite words and looked at the boy, wondering what was going on in his mind. Even he was having difficulty coming if with a plan here, all else had already failed. But before he could ask Naruto, that very person shot his head over his shoulder, a deadly serious look on his face. "I got an idea." he said, the fire of his eyes blazing brighter than ever. His determination almost glowed just like those flames, burning through the cloak of chakra covering his body. "But I'm gonna need a diversion, one that won't cause big and ugly over there to go crazy."

Pein searched Naruto's eyes, asking himself again what it was that this boy could possibly have thought of. Yet after all that had happened, he decided to place his trust in the boy. "I can buy you a few minutes, but that is all." he said, before suddenly darting off of Inugami and disappearing down the side of the mountain. Naruto gave a nod of thanks to Pein, who reappeared a moment later on the back of that weird bird. He then looked down at Inugami, studying the dog closely.

There was someone he needed to see.

* * *

The Kyuubi had been breathing heavily for a long time now. Its body had healed itself, yet the swords still penetrated its form. How long had it had to suffer this? For a long time before this it had had no such concept of the thing, and had soon come to forget about that thing called "time". Yet now all it could do was count the seconds, and partially wish for the imprisonment it had had before. At least then it could move without feeling this searing pain.

Suddenly the demon fox cried out, as the swords that held it to the floor were lifted from the ground. Once again its blood flowed, and its wounds began to knit back together. Achingly it raised its head, knowing there was only one possible way that it could have been released like this. "Those feelings… you want to take something more?" it asked, hatred clear on its pain stricken face. "How much more can you possibly take?"

Naruto walked towards the Kyuubi in a relatively calm manner, a smirk upon his face that in no way detracted from his own seriousness. The giant swords that he had bound the Kyuubi with hovered just inches above it, threatening to come crashing down once again. "You know me, I don't like doing things on a small scale." he said, watching as the Kyuubi's strength slowly returned to it. "Right now I have need of you. You up for stretching your legs a little?"

These words piqued the Kyuubi's interest, and pricked its ears. The tone of Naruto's voice combined with the emotions the fox could sense brought together a rather clear meaning behind what the boy was saying. Yet after all that had happened it was only naturally that the Kyuubi be distrustful of such a boy. "You have my chakra, and have even taken some of my mind." it said, as it tried to piece together the answer to the big question in its mind. "And yet you have need of me to do your fighting for you?"

To this Naruto could only sigh. With his faith in Pein he didn't feel to anxious, a fortunate thing when facing against the Kyuubi. Yet all the same he wanted to get through all of this quickly, and as peacefully as was possible. "I remember who I was, who I used to be all those years ago." he said coolly, remembering all those short encounters with the Kyuubi in the past. "But who I am now, what I have become, it's all thanks to one person. You know who that person is?"

Silence passed as the question hung in the air, both parties waiting for elaboration. The Kyuubi sneered at Naruto, trying to work out the boy's angle. When did that little idiot get to be so sinister? Was this what it was like being face to face with its own will? This discomfort the Kyuubi felt… it hated it. Its lips curled back, revealing its jaws in the dangerous way that canines often did. "The person for whom you owe thanks to?" it repeated, feeling like it was being treated condescendingly. "How should I-"

"It's you, Kyuubi."

The Kyuubi paused itself, its gaze narrowing even further. It wasn't one to succumb to such words, definitely not one to feel pleased for them. Should it be happy, that Naruto believed it to be the reason he had become this evil, cruel being? "Without the weight of carrying you around, without the pressure of being that thing called a Jinchuuriki… I would probably have become the very kind of person I hate." Naruto continued, a genuine look of peace mixed with danger on his face. "So as thanks for this, and as a request, there's something I need you to destroy."

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes, the look within them as blank as his chakra covered face. He looked down at Inugami, already aware that the dog was awaiting whatever it was Naruto was going to do. He didn't hesitate, didn't give the Kyuubi time to change its mind. The chakra around his body grew and grew, darkening even further. That chakra spread from his body down to Inugami's, covering the bewildered dog in its near black aura. Soon the chakra became something formless, something that was a total glob of dark red. Then, tails began to grow from this shape. It was not one tail, or even four tails. It was all nine tails.

Far ahead the Juubi was looking around, slashing at the bird swirling around its head. Its attacks were getting closer and closer, but just before it could land a proper hit, something to the distance caught its attention. Dismissing the bird, it stared off at that place, watching as something grew larger and larger before its very eyes. Up above its head, Pein too studied what was going on, a look of shock upon his face. Before them both, the mass that had once been Naruto and Inugami became none other than the Kyuubi no Yoko. Yet there was something different about what they were looking at, something Pein had not seen in the other Bijuu, and something the Juubi knew was inherently _wrong_. The Kyuubi's fur was a rust red shade, and on its back was a pair of large wings. There was only one reason Pein could come up with, once that made him silently commend Naruto.

"_To use his own hounds as a medium for the Kyuubi's chakra, and using it to temporarily restore the mental energy that was taken from it… I don't know whether to call him genius or ruthless."_

Whatever the Juubi was thinking however, it seemed to reach but a single conclusion. Looking at the Kyuubi, who sat on that mountaintop not too far away now, it saw all of the rage and killing intent contained within the most dangerous of the nine Bijuu. And so as the Juubi crouched down upon the mountaintop, its eye narrowing as the Kyuubi did the same, that conclusion that it made became startlingly clear; kill.

It was simultaneous, the leaps that these two beasts made. Though the Juubi was larger, the help of the wings borrowed from Inugami allowed the Kyuubi to hit its opponent much harder. The two struck each other with flying fists and slashing claws, tearing their enemy apart with no concern for their own wellbeing. These two were fast and strong, fierce and relentless. As quickly as once could cut, the other could cut back. This went the same for fiercer attack, like the chakra blasts that both began to use. Explosions in their faces tore away at their flesh, but they refused to back off and be declared the one on retreat. This was most definitely a fight to the death.

The ninth tail grew behind the Juubi, and with it came a burst of power. It used this power to grapple with the Kyuubi, using its slightly greater size to grip the beast into a powerful hug. The Kyuubi then responded to this by lashing out with its tails, triggering a loss of balance that forced both monsters to fall. Together they hit the mountaintop and rolled down into the valleys, the Kyuubi now lying on top of the Juubi. Once again the two of them opened their jaws wide, gathering chakra to blast into each other once again.

Then they choked. Both the Kyuubi and the Juubi's eyes shot wider than ever before, the spheres of chakra at their mouths stalling dangerously. Neither of them could see, but both could feel the pain rushing through their stomachs. With their awkward positions, they were blind to the single Shinobi kneeling on the Kyuubi's back. Naruto stood with the Suijin impaled in the nine tailed fox's spine, that red aura running straight through and into the Juubi itself. There was no aura in Naruto's eyes, no cloak covering his body. Yet there was a killer intent as strong as ever, fiercer than what either could manage. "Both of you die… and take your creators with you." he commanded, as the two Bijuu began to get drawn into the Totsuka sword. "… And… one more thing…"

The two Bijuu, the nine and the ten tails, were being pulled into the Totsuka sword no matter how they resisted. Yet the chakra spheres they had created remained as they were. But with the presences of their creators diminishing, they were left incomplete and volatile. Pein recognised this and swooped in from above, reaching to pull Naruto out of there. But as he reached him, he found himself to be too late. The two chakra spheres exploded, and sent a shockwave that enveloped them both.

* * *

There were no birds in the sky, no fish in the rivers. The sky was cloudy and the air was cool. Everything around was simply so and so, a quiet day in a quiet place. It seemed almost hard to believe that this place only recently was the stage of some massive battle between monsters. Yet the misshapen mountains and ruined valley spoke for itself. This place was no longer a place of peace. It was this place, that after a time impossible to assess, Naruto woke up.

How long had he been out? The sky was still bright, but because of the clouds he couldn't tell just where the sun was. It could have been just a minute, or even a few days as far as he could tell. But in this weather, if he didn't have pneumonia then he probably hadn't been here _too_ long. Yet he continued to lie, on the bed of pebbles beneath him, and wonder why it was he felt so at ease.

He noticed beside him that he was not the only one just waking up. It appeared that Pein too had been knocked out by that explosion, if his dirt streaked face was anything to go by. Not far across from him he also saw his six hounds, their breathing telling him they had survived what he did to them. He was glad, that was one piece of guilt he _didn't_ want to have weighing on his conscience. Leaving his dogs to rest, he turned his attention to Pein, who wearily opened his eyes.

"That was… _enlightening_."

Naruto had to laugh at Pein's strange choice of words, even if the man was being totally serious in saying it. He had to admit the same; that was something he would never manage to forget even if he tried. "Here's hoping that was a once in a lifetime experience right?" he asked, displaying the lack of clarity that Pein seemed to be stuck on. He looked to the sky and let out another steady exhale, once again feeling glad he had survived that. "I think I've been around Kisame too long though… that was kind of fun!"

Pein of course didn't see the joke, it was unlikely he would ever any time soon. He stayed true to his nature and regarded what had just happened, and how it reflected upon what he had thought before. "To think that a power like could come across this world a second time…" he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. He closed his eyes for a moment, and seemed to think even deeper. Then he opened them again, the look of wonder he had a moment ago fading away for something more formal. "Naruto… after all of this, everything that has happened… I would be willing to give our previous arrangement a further try."

Naruto let his smile simmer down, until it faded away completely. In truth he didn't want to think about things like that just now. He just wanted to keep feeling this, this pleasure to be alive. But he supposed these were things he too had been thinking about for a while now, things he didn't want to be left unsaid. He let out a sigh before lifting himself up, resting his arms on his legs as he looked at the ground between them. "You know… when Zetsu took me out of Konoha, all the way up to you revealing your paths to me… I kind of worshipped you." he said, in a melancholy voice. "You were someone who understood how I felt, and wanted to change the way people were. It was that sort of thing I quickly grew attached to, and something that stuck with me for the years to come."

As he said these nostalgic things, Pein too lifted himself to a seated position. He recalled his past meetings with Naruto well, even if they had been through the eyes of his realms. But what he couldn't recognise was the tone in Naruto's voice, as that boy looked off to the distance with eyes that went even further. "But that time you showed me your power, I got myself thinking "What _is_ a god anyway?"." he continued, relaxed and uncaring. "To me, a god is someone who can do anything, who doesn't need the power of things like demons. That's why… I don't think you're a god. I think your more like a… like a half-god, or whatever they're called."

"A daemon?" Pein offered, with a raised brow. For some reason he didn't feel offended by what Naruto said, and in fact seemed rather fine with it. He too regarded the distance with great consideration, even something of the slightest of smiles appearing upon his face. "So rather than a god of peace, that would make me a daemon of pain wouldn't it? So then does this mean that you no longer agree with my way of thinking? Do you intend to oppose me instead?"

A long breath made its way from Naruto's lips, and with it his eyes became downcast. He stayed like that for several long seconds, neither wanting to answer or let Pein come to conclusions like that. "A world where everyone knows what it means to feel pain, so that all of them will continue to seek peace." he said, surmising the faith Pein had described for so long. "I still want to help you create that world… I just think that our way of doing things is wrong."

Pein didn't offer counter argument to this, specifically because he wasn't sure what side of things Naruto was on. Instead he let the boy ponder his thoughts some more, in the hope he could come to understand just what this person was thinking. Yet before that happened, he was surprised to see Naruto getting to his feet. The blond swordsman turned his back on Pein, and with that he spoke some more. "I'm a perpetual mess-up, everything I do seems to either hurt people or make them distrust me." he said, speaking of past experiences that he held very close to his heart. "I've decided. I've done all I can for those people, anything more will only hurt them more. That's why I'm going alone, on a mission that won't ever stop until the day I die."

He looked over to his dogs, who sensed his awareness and woke up themselves. They got to their feet and walked over to him, knowing with no reason that it was time for them to leave. But Naruto just had one last thing to say. Turning his head back to Pein, he flashed his winning smile. "This time I'll be your diversion, so that you can bring peace to this world." he said, without a shred of insincerity. "Just do me a favour… make sure that in this world, no one has to suffer that hell called loneliness."

With that he climbed onto the back of Akira and gave a wave as his hounds took off. Pein was left sitting there, quietly and speechlessly looking on after Naruto. He knew what it was the boy had done, what he had used his blade to do. That boy had erased the wills of the Kyuubi and the Juubi, before absorbing the chakra from those monsters inside of his own body. This was what he saw, with those Rinnegan eyes. _"It seems you made your decision even back then."_ he thought, as his eye narrowed to something that was almost a close. _"Good luck, Uzumaki Naruto."_

The winter had come with a piercing ferocity that year, and left with the shooing breeze of spring. The village of Keishigakure had benefited immensely from the blossoming season, its beauty grown even greater than ever before. Now it was truly a Shinobi village, with each and every ninja a welcome member of the society. Things had been this way for a long time now, a state of calm that only befell a village that had taken part in a treaty of neutrality. The other villages had agreed that Keishi would be safe from the ongoing war, as long as in return Keishi took no part in it under any circumstances. As such, it was a peace that came at a dangerous cost. But at times like these, it was welcomed as much as it could be.

From his office in the building furthest back of Keishigakure, Gaara was in the middle of writing a record of recent events. He had felt it was necessary to document such things, as a means of remembering how things were at the time. _"It has been four months now since the attack of the Juubi upon Konohagakure."_ he wrote, with his chair turned so that he could easily see out into the sunlit village. _"It seems for now that Akatsuki has disappeared into the shadows… or that would be the case. Deidara shows up every now and again, though that seems to be nothing more than a personal thing. Since Konoha fell and Akatsuki slipped away, there has been a tension among the five villages. This tension resulted in what is going on now; a war with no particular opponent."_

He lifted his pen aside for now and regarded the view out there. From below the balcony he could hear Fuu's voice clearly; that girl had taken to teaching part time at the ninja school, specialising in Taijutsu training. She had overcome the dangers of her Nikusui, and since then had revealed a very affectionate nature. It was for that very same reason that Yagura was often volunteering to take missions away from the village.

Han continued to work on the village even now; recently he had shown a compulsive behaviour when it came to improvements. For the most part Gaara allowed him to indulge in these things, but on occasion he had to be put to a stop. For one thing, building automatic anti air defences specifically for the purpose of keeping Deidara away was not something he was willing to put on the village's budget. From what the blond bomber had said, Akatsuki was reassessing itself and focusing on growing its forces in countries not affiliated with the ones around the five nations.

His moment of idleness was disturbed by a knock at the door, followed by Rei's head appearing from the slither of which she opened it. Gaara looked over at her flatly; he certainly hadn't managed to make her less nervous of him during these past few months. "Gaara-sama, Utakata-sama has returned now, should I send him in?" she asked, ignoring his previous request to just let the other Jinchuuriki come in.

"Yes, it's fine."

Rei bowed her head before opening the door to its fullest extent. There she allows the person in question, Utakata, to enter the room. The bubble-nin smiled at her as she closed the door, something which only for a fleeting moment he was returned with. But as the door closed he let that smile slide, and looked over at Gaara's expectant expression. "I know I'm early… but things over there didn't last long." he said, his expression much more distant than was the norm of this usually cheerful person. "Iwa, Suna, Kumo and Kiri each sent a large portion of their forces to the ruins of Konoha. The battle is already over."

"I see…" Gaara replied, turning his gaze back outside the window. He had known that the alliance had been shaky for a long time now, perhaps it was only a matter of time before it broke down completely. However for it to happen so abruptly like this was past what even he had expected. It got to the point where he couldn't stop himself from frowning. "You said it's over already? Then who won?"

At first Utakata didn't respond, his silence drawing Gaara's gaze back to him. The forlorn look he was wearing made Gaara feel uncomfortable, to the point where he almost asked again. "There weren't any survivors, anyone with a weapon was slaughtered where they stood." he said, alarming Gaara considerably. But that alone was nothing compared to what Utakata had felt back then, that much was clear by the look on his face. "The winner… it was Uzumaki Naruto."

Gaara stared at Utakata long and hard, his eyes wide and his lips apart. That was a name that hadn't been spoken in up to two months now, not since they had all given up their search for Naruto's body back then. Everyone had been so certain that he had died back there, they had finally made peace with that fact. Slowly Gaara's expression calmed, but darkened at the same time. He lowered his head to look down at the ground, no longer thinking of Utakata or anyone else. _"Naruto…"_ he thought, his hands curling into fists. _"So this is the path you have chosen?"_


End file.
